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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bound — certain
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. key — in music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. band — a ring
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. band — a music group
  11. bound — tied together
  12. key — the most important part
  13. net — for catching
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. net — after costs
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bound — obliged
  21. craft — a skill
  22. key — for a lock
  23. craft — boats
  24. wave — of the sea

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