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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rock — a stone
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bound — tied together
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bank — for money
  10. stand — to bear
  11. roll — a list
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bound — obliged
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bound — certain
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. toast — bread
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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