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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. race — a contest
  6. fork — in a road
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. band — a ring
  10. bank — for money
  11. charge — in control
  12. bank — of a river
  13. date — the fruit
  14. charge — a price
  15. craft — a skill
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. band — a music group
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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