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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bank — for money
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a dance
  7. net — for catching
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ball — a great time
  10. object — a thing
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a music group
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bank — for money
  20. net — in sport
  21. object — to protest
  22. net — after costs
  23. bank — of a river
  24. object — an aim

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