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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bound — certain
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. date — the fruit
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. dip — to sink
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. band — a music group
  22. bound — tied together
  23. tube — a container
  24. fine — all right

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