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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bark — to shout
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. spring — the season
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. band — a music group
  8. firm — decided
  9. drill — a practice
  10. spring — a coil
  11. drill — army training
  12. firm — steady
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. firm — a company
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. band — a ring
  22. spring — of water
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fan — a supporter

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