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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. face — part of the head
  4. charge — in control
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. deal — to handle
  7. court — of a king
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. club — for dancing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. club — a group
  15. dip — to sink
  16. face — to confront
  17. charge — electricity
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. court — for sport
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. club — for golf
  23. court — of law
  24. charge — a price

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