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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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Word bank
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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: fine · firm · season · kid · band · trunk · dip · perch

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. firm — a company
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. band — a music group
  9. firm — steady
  10. season — in sport
  11. perch — the fish
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. firm — decided
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. dip — to sink
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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