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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. clip — for paper
  3. board — a committee
  4. object — to protest
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. band — a ring
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. clip — a video
  10. object — an aim
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. cue — a hint
  19. band — a music group
  20. object — a thing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bank — of a river
  23. board — to get on
  24. foot — a measure

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