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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bank — of a river
  4. land — ground
  5. suit — in cards
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. suit — to fit
  15. band — a ring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fine — all right
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. band — a music group
  21. land — a country
  22. saw — the tool
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bank — for money

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