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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. game — wild animals
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. game — a match
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. foot — a measure
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pit — in a race
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fork — in a road
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pit — a hole
  21. suit — clothes
  22. band — a ring
  23. branch — a division
  24. straw — dry grass

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