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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. band — a music group
  6. present — a gift
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. craft — a skill
  9. game — a match
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. band — a ring
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. vault — a safe
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cue — a hint
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bark — to shout
  22. craft — boats
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fan — a supporter

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