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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fine — all right
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. firm — decided
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — shares
  10. spell — letters
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. firm — a company
  19. cue — for pool
  20. firm — steady
  21. fine — high quality
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. stock — goods

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