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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 124 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. band — a music group
  6. stand — to bear
  7. race — the arms race
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. race — humankind
  11. mate — a friend
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. race — a contest
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mate — a partner
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mate — to breed
  22. band — a ring
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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