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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. land — a country
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. capital — a city
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. date — the fruit
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. land — ground
  13. band — a ring
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — money
  17. pass — a permit
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. band — a music group
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. hide — animal skin

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