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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cue — a signal
  3. band — a ring
  4. net — in sport
  5. cold — an illness
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. club — a group
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cue — for pool
  14. club — for dancing
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — after costs
  19. object — to protest
  20. cold — not warm
  21. object — a thing
  22. net — for catching
  23. club — for golf
  24. cue — a hint

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