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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. land — ground
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. land — a country
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. game — wild animals
  13. land — to come down
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. band — a ring
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. wake — a trail
  21. game — a match
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pit — in a race
  24. squash — the vegetable

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