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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pop — soda
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. key — in music
  10. pop — music
  11. bound — certain
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bound — tied together
  15. shower — to wash
  16. tube — a container
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a ring
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. key — for a lock
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pop — to visit

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