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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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bass — low music
  4. present — there
  5. pitch — completely
  6. tube — a container
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. branch — a division
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. present — the time now
  12. can — to be able to
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. can — a tin
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bass — the fish
  17. band — a music group
  18. present — a gift
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — the underground
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. band — a ring
  24. tube — in a tire

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