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

Word bank: lie · band · kid · cue · bay · mark · pound · scale

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cue — for pool
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cue — a signal
  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