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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · fork · scale · date · deal · band · fall · bay

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. band — a music group
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fall — to drop
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — in music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fall — the season
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. band — a ring
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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