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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. track — to keep track
  3. firm — a company
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — a path
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a song
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. perch — the fish
  16. firm — steady
  17. pit — a hole
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. band — a ring
  20. firm — decided
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pit — in a race
  23. band — a music group
  24. cabinet — ministers

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