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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. deal — to handle
  4. content — happy
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. band — a ring
  8. wake — a trail
  9. band — a music group
  10. cap — of ice
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cap — a lid
  13. track — a song
  14. staff — employees
  15. content — the amount
  16. track — to keep track
  17. staff — employees
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. staff — a stick
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. track — a path
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. branch — a division

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