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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bank — for money
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. band — a ring
  7. toast — bread
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bank — for money
  10. bass — the fish
  11. spring — of water
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pit — in a race
  14. band — a music group
  15. scale — size or range
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bank — of a river
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. mug — a face
  22. spring — a coil
  23. scale — in music
  24. mug — to rob

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