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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 120 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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. club — for dancing
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. band — a ring
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bear — the animal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. deal — to handle
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. club — for golf
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. band — a music group
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bear — the animal
  18. club — a group
  19. fine — all right
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rush — hurry

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