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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. firm — steady
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ground — a position
  8. fine — all right
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. stock — goods
  19. cue — a hint
  20. firm — a company
  21. ground — crushed
  22. chest — a box
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. firm — decided

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