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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. chair — a leader
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. band — a ring
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. staff — employees
  10. shower — to wash
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a path
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. shower — rain
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. track — a song
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — to keep track
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stand — to bear

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