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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. pit — in a race
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pit — a hole
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. can — a tin

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