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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wax — to grow
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. staff — employees
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fine — all right
  19. staff — employees
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. band — a ring
  24. staff — a stick

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