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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. band — a ring
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a music group
  17. tube — the underground
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pass — a permit
  21. tube — a container
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. tube — in a tire

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