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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bank — for money
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kid — to tease
  14. object — to protest
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. object — an aim
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. band — a ring
  19. season — in sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. object — a thing
  22. kid — child
  23. season — of the year
  24. bank — of a river

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