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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. band — a ring
  8. wound — an injury
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. drill — a practice
  11. band — a music group
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bear — the animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. drill — army training
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. drill — the tool

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