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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. present — there
  3. fine — all right
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bore — to tire
  6. present — the time now
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. board — a committee
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fine — high quality
  15. board — to get on
  16. band — a music group
  17. present — a gift
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bore — to drill
  23. band — a ring
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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