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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mug — to rob
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — steady
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. firm — decided
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mug — a cup
  11. firm — a company
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rule — a law
  16. band — a ring
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. mug — a face
  20. bass — low music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. band — a music group
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bore — gave birth

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