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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. band — a ring
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bound — certain
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. land — ground
  8. bulb — for light
  9. branch — a division
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a music group
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. land — to come down
  16. bound — tied together
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. land — a country
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bound — obliged
  24. racket — for tennis

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