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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. last — final
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. band — a ring
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. club — for golf
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pit — a hole

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