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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rule — a law
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pass — a permit
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fine — all right
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rule — government
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. sharp — clever
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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