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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 116 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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 ring
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lean — thin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. band — a music group
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bound — certain
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fork — in a road
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stock — goods
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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