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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. band — a ring
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bear — the animal
  14. present — a gift
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lie — to recline
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. bass — low music
  22. craft — boats
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. craft — a skill

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