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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. branch — a division
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. game — a match
  8. band — a music group
  9. bank — for money
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bank — of a river
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bank — for money
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a ring
  23. ball — a great time
  24. branch — of a tree

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