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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fine — all right
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mine — for digging
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. object — an aim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. band — a ring
  14. prune — to trim
  15. object — a thing
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. band — a music group
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. swing — to play on
  23. object — to protest
  24. fork — in a road

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