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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — clothes
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. band — a ring
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. suit — to fit
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — in a road
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. suit — in cards
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. track — a path
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. capital — money
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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