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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. craft — boats
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bound — tied together
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spring — the season
  11. bound — certain
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. track — a path
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. band — a ring
  19. spring — of water
  20. track — a song
  21. bound — obliged
  22. spring — a coil
  23. firm — a company
  24. craft — a skill

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