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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pound — a weight
  13. band — a ring
  14. craft — a skill
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. band — a music group
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pitch — completely
  24. sharp — with an edge

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