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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. band — a ring
  4. ground — a position
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. branch — a division
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ground — the earth
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fine — all right
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — high quality
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. trunk — of a car
  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