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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cue — a signal
  3. game — a match
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — government
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. track — a path
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bear — the animal
  13. court — for sport
  14. band — a ring
  15. rule — a law
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cue — for pool
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. track — a song
  22. can — a tin
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bear — to put up with

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