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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. present — the time now
  4. net — for catching
  5. march — the month
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. march — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. present — a gift
  13. prune — to trim
  14. march — the month
  15. pit — a hole
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — a grade
  19. net — after costs
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pit — in a race
  23. present — there
  24. band — a ring

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