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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. branch — a division
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. clip — a video
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pop — music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. band — a ring
  13. key — the most important part
  14. clip — to cut
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. band — a music group
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. leaves — of a tree

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