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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a ring
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fork — in a road
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pass — a permit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. prune — to trim

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