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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 120 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. degree — from a university
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. suit — in cards
  16. degree — an amount
  17. band — a ring
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. suit — to fit
  20. degree — temperature
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cap — a hat
  24. swing — in golf

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