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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. club — for golf
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fall — the season
  21. club — a group
  22. band — a music group
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. calf — a young animal

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