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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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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. firm — steady
  9. band — a music group
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. band — a ring
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pitch — completely
  14. firm — a company
  15. fine — all right
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. firm — decided
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. sharp — with an edge

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