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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 120 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: ruler · pit · band · fine · snap · stem · bear · pound

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pit — in a race
  7. fine — all right
  8. pound — a weight
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. band — a music group
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pound — for dogs

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