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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 116 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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. swing — music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. court — for sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — of a king
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a ring
  12. object — a thing
  13. swing — to play on
  14. suit — in cards
  15. court — of law
  16. suit — to fit
  17. swing — in golf
  18. suit — clothes

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