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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. band — a ring
  5. scale — in music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tube — a container
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. scale — size or range
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. band — a music group
  16. stand — to bear
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wind — moving air
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wind — to turn a key

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