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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 124 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mate — a friend
  3. foot — a measure
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. firm — a company
  11. band — a music group
  12. firm — steady
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. firm — decided
  22. mate — a partner
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mate — to breed

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