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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. band — a ring
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bass — low music
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. game — a match
  10. can — a tin
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rule — a law
  13. bass — the fish
  14. can — a tin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rule — government
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. band — a music group

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