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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fine — all right
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. object — a thing
  5. board — to get on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. band — a ring
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rest — a break
  12. board — a committee
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. band — a music group
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. degree — from a university
  18. object — an aim
  19. degree — an amount
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — to protest
  24. cabinet — ministers

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