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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. band — a music group
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pit — a hole
  20. tear — from crying
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mug — a face

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