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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. object — to protest
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. suit — to fit
  12. band — a ring
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. band — a music group
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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