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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. march — the month
  3. band — a music group
  4. tear — from crying
  5. spell — a short time
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. tear — from crying
  8. spring — a coil
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spring — the season
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bass — low music
  13. march — music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tear — to rip
  18. spell — magic
  19. band — a ring
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — of water
  22. spell — letters
  23. march — the month
  24. safe — a strongbox

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