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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bank — of a river
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. file — a document
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bank — for money
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. band — a music group
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. net — for catching
  14. band — a ring
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. file — a tool
  20. kid — child
  21. net — in sport
  22. deal — to handle
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. net — after costs

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