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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. band — a music group
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mate — a friend
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. degree — temperature
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mate — to breed
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. degree — an amount
  19. hand — in cards
  20. degree — from a university
  21. hand — help
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. squash — to crush

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