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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. band — a ring
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. net — for catching
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. net — after costs
  11. snap — to click
  12. branch — a division
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. tube — a container
  15. band — a music group
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tube — the underground
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. net — in sport
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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