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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. firm — steady
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fork — in a road
  7. swing — to play on
  8. firm — decided
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tube — a container
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. swing — music
  18. band — a music group
  19. swing — in golf
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. firm — a company
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tube — in a tire

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