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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. tube — a container
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. suit — to fit
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. suit — clothes
  8. branch — a division
  9. suit — in cards
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bear — the animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bear — the animal
  16. field — for sport
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. key — in music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. tube — the underground
  23. key — for a lock
  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