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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. club — for dancing
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pop — soda
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. ball — a great time
  13. club — for golf
  14. saw — the tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bank — for money
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. club — a group
  22. bank — of a river
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music 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