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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. shower — rain
  3. key — in music
  4. bound — obliged
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bound — tied together
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bound — certain
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. shower — to wash
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. band — a music group
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. key — the most important part
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. branch — a division
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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