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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. band — a music group
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pop — music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. season — in sport
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. game — a match
  12. season — of the year
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pop — soda
  19. band — a ring
  20. pop — to visit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — a container

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