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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. scale — size or range
  15. band — a ring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. band — a music group
  22. scale — in music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. deal — a big deal

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