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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. present — a gift
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. present — there
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ground — the earth
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. date — the fruit
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. lie — to recline
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. club — for golf
  20. ground — a position
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. present — the time now
  24. band — a music group

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