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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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. ground — crushed
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. band — a ring
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bass — the fish
  14. net — in sport
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. net — after costs
  17. chip — for betting
  18. net — for catching
  19. bass — low music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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