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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pit — in a race
  11. march — music
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. craft — boats
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. march — the month
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. band — a ring
  23. march — the month
  24. foot — a measure

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