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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. file — a document
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. season — in sport
  10. band — a music group
  11. prune — to trim
  12. march — music
  13. rule — a law
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — government
  16. band — a ring
  17. rock — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. season — of the year
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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