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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. row — a line
  5. band — a ring
  6. present — there
  7. stand — to bear
  8. band — a music group
  9. pop — soda
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. present — the time now
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. present — a gift
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rock — music
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pop — music

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