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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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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. toast — bread
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. club — for golf
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. can — a tin
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. band — a ring
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. club — a group

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