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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. cap — a hat
  4. net — in sport
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pit — a hole
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. net — for catching
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cap — of ice
  16. net — after costs
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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