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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pit — a hole
  3. present — a gift
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. band — a music group
  7. present — there
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rule — a law
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. present — the time now
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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