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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. march — the month
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bank — for money
  5. march — music
  6. track — a path
  7. band — a ring
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — a container
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. spring — the season
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. track — a song
  15. march — the month
  16. track — to keep track
  17. spring — of water
  18. pit — a hole
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pit — in a race
  22. band — a music group
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bay — a horse colour

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