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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cap — a lid
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. kid — child
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chair — a leader
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. kid — to tease
  13. key — in music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cap — of ice
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. prune — to trim
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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