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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 116 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rock — a stone
  4. field — a subject
  5. fork — in a road
  6. band — a ring
  7. pit — a hole
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. field — farmland
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. band — a music group
  17. field — for sport
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rock — to move gently

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