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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 116 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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. scale — in music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. firm — steady
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bank — of a river
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. band — a ring
  12. suit — clothes
  13. shower — rain
  14. bat — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bank — for money
  19. scale — size or range
  20. band — a music group
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bank — for money

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