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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cap — a lid
  5. march — the month
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. march — music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. band — a ring
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wax — to grow
  19. march — the month
  20. bank — of a river
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. content — happy
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cap — of ice

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