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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. current — of water
  5. band — a ring
  6. prune — to trim
  7. season — in sport
  8. current — happening now
  9. pit — a hole
  10. band — a music group
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. march — the month
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pop — to visit
  19. current — electric
  20. march — music
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. march — the month
  24. season — of the year

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