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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. club — for dancing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chest — of your body
  9. board — a committee
  10. club — a group
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. band — a ring
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chest — a box
  20. deal — to handle
  21. band — a music group
  22. club — for golf
  23. board — to get on
  24. stock — shares

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