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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: rest · jam · mate · present · bark · key · deal · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bark — to shout
  3. key — in music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. deal — to handle
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mate — a partner
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. present — there
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mate — a friend
  24. band — a ring

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