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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. staff — a stick
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pit — in a race
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. staff — employees
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. craft — boats
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. spell — letters
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pit — a hole
  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