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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. club — a group
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pound — a weight
  10. land — to come down
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. land — a country
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. band — a ring
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. land — ground
  24. calf — of the leg

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