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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. firm — steady
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a ring
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wind — moving air
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. firm — decided
  19. wind — moving air
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. firm — a company

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