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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. net — after costs
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. net — in sport
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mark — a trace
  15. net — for catching
  16. bound — tied together
  17. charge — in control
  18. band — a music group
  19. bound — certain
  20. charge — a price
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fan — a supporter

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