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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stock — shares
  8. band — a ring
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bank — for money
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bank — for money
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stock — goods
  24. degree — temperature

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