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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. club — for golf
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. season — in sport
  7. game — a match
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stand — to bear
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. season — of the year
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stock — shares
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stock — goods
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stand — for spectators

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