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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rest — a break
  7. date — the fruit
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — what's left
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. band — a music group
  16. swing — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. date — on the calendar

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