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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. last — final
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. last — to go on
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. last — finally
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mark — a grade
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. tube — a container
  23. firm — a company
  24. tube — the underground

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