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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. band — a music group
  4. mark — a trace
  5. branch — a division
  6. rash — a series
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rash — hasty
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. band — a ring
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bulb — of a plant

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