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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cue — a signal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. band — a music group
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pop — music
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. court — of a king
  16. cue — a hint
  17. court — for sport
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. court — of law
  20. pop — soda
  21. band — a ring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pop — to visit

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