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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. band — a music group
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. band — a ring
  5. firm — a company
  6. pound — a weight
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. firm — decided
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. clip — for paper
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. firm — steady
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — to handle
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. nail — on a finger

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