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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pop — music
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. track — a song
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. band — a music group
  10. rule — a law
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fork — in a road
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pop — soda
  16. track — to keep track
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rule — government
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. track — a path
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rule — to rule out

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