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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. branch — a division
  8. band — a ring
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pass — a permit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fine — high quality
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. fine — all right
  24. band — a music group

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