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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. club — a group
  3. pop — music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. club — for golf
  6. drill — the tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. race — a contest
  11. pop — soda
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. drill — army training
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pop — to visit
  19. race — humankind
  20. band — a music group
  21. race — the arms race
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com