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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. band — a ring
  4. fine — all right
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — to bear
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spring — of water
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. spring — the season
  21. board — to get on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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