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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. band — a ring
  4. mate — a partner
  5. key — in music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. band — a music group
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. branch — a division
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. branch — of a bank

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