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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wound — an injury
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stock — goods
  5. land — a country
  6. suit — to fit
  7. band — a music group
  8. stock — shares
  9. land — ground
  10. suit — in cards
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. land — to come down
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wound — an injury
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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