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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. date — the fruit
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. band — a ring
  9. pass — a permit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. band — a music group
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. tube — a container
  24. branch — a division

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