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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. band — a music group
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. track — a song
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cell — a phone
  17. race — humankind
  18. cell — in biology
  19. race — a contest
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. track — a path
  24. bulb — for light

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