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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pop — music
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. band — a ring
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pit — in a race
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bank — of a river
  18. scale — in music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pop — soda
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. dip — to sink
  24. band — a music group

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