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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.

Make a worksheet

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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. net — in sport
  4. fork — in a road
  5. staff — a stick
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. staff — employees
  9. net — after costs
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. staff — employees
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. net — for catching
  15. wind — moving air
  16. band — a ring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — a garden tool

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