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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. last — final
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fork — in a road
  10. band — a music group
  11. last — finally
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. band — a ring
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. branch — a division
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. last — to go on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wake — a trail

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