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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. track — a song
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. toast — bread
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. tear — to rip
  14. track — a path
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rock — a stone
  18. tear — from crying
  19. game — a match
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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