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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. can — to be able to
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pit — a hole
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. can — a tin
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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