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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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Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. net — for catching
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. club — a group
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. net — after costs
  8. band — a ring
  9. club — for golf
  10. tear — from crying
  11. present — there
  12. key — in music
  13. band — a music group
  14. tear — from crying
  15. net — in sport
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. present — the time now
  19. kid — child
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. tear — to rip
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bowl — a dish

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