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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. band — a music group
  6. stand — to bear
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. swing — music
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. field — farmland
  15. band — a ring
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. swing — in golf
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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