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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. season — in sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. band — a ring
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pit — a hole
  11. season — of the year
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ball — a dance
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pop — soda
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pop — music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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