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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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468
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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rash — a series
  3. cue — for pool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — a break
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rest — what's left
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cue — a hint
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — a signal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pound — to hit hard

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