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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · pass · pop · bowl · leaves · prune · date · rest

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rest — what's left
  4. band — a music group
  5. rest — a break
  6. band — a ring
  7. pop — soda
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pop — to visit
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pop — music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bowl — a football final

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