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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. band — a ring
  3. file — a line of people
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rock — a stone
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. key — in music
  9. bound — certain
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. craft — boats
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rock — music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. craft — a skill
  17. band — a music group
  18. bound — obliged
  19. key — the most important part
  20. file — a tool
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bound — tied together
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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