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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. saw — the tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. firm — steady
  14. swing — music
  15. firm — decided
  16. swing — in golf
  17. band — a ring
  18. date — the fruit
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. swing — to play on

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