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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rock — music
  7. club — a group
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ground — a position
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. club — for golf
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rock — a stone
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ground — crushed

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