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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. band — a ring
  3. ball — a dance
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. band — a music group
  6. saw — the tool
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. shower — rain
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pop — music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pop — soda
  23. shower — to wash
  24. saw — the tool

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