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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. track — a song
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. band — a ring
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. track — a path
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — size or range
  17. track — to keep track
  18. band — a music group
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mug — a face
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. scale — in music
  23. spring — of water
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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