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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. degree — temperature
  3. ball — a great time
  4. press — to push
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. degree — an amount
  13. press — a publisher
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ball — a dance
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. band — a ring
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. degree — from a university
  21. band — a music group
  22. pound — a weight
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bowl — a dish

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