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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. present — there
  5. bulb — for light
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — a gift
  16. band — a ring
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mate — to breed
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mate — a friend
  21. present — the time now
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mate — a partner

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