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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: fork · band · roll · hide · present · club · cap · rush

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rush — hurry
  3. present — the time now
  4. fork — in a road
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. band — a ring
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cap — of ice
  14. present — a gift
  15. band — a music group
  16. cap — a hat
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. club — a group
  24. rush — a thrill

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