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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. track — a song
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bore — to tire
  8. content — happy
  9. suit — clothes
  10. key — for a lock
  11. face — to confront
  12. bore — to drill
  13. face — to point toward
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. key — in music
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. band — a music group
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. face — part of the head
  21. content — the amount
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. key — the most important part

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