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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 120 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. staff — employees
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. dip — to sink
  5. track — to keep track
  6. band — a music group
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. track — a song
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — a stick
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. swing — music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. track — a path
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. swing — to play on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — employees
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fork — a garden tool

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