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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. march — the month
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. march — the month
  5. pit — in a race
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. can — a tin
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. band — a ring
  12. march — music
  13. vault — a safe
  14. can — to be able to
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rock — a stone
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — of water
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. band — a music group
  24. spring — the season

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