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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. band — a ring
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — shares
  6. charge — a price
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. can — a tin
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — a tin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — goods
  20. can — to be able to
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pound — a weight
  23. charge — in control
  24. wind — moving air

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