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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. key — the most important part
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. lie — to recline
  7. band — a ring
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — size or range
  12. court — for sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. court — of law
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. key — in music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. key — for a lock
  22. court — of a king
  23. scale — in music
  24. mouse — the animal

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