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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · ball · cold · pop · fine · rock · key · pit

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pop — soda
  3. fine — all right
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. key — in music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pit — a hole
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. band — a ring
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pop — music
  17. band — a music group
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cold — not warm

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