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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. band — a music group
  7. season — in sport
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a ring
  11. bank — of a river
  12. charge — in control
  13. season — of the year
  14. can — to be able to
  15. charge — electricity
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wound — an injury
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wound — an injury
  23. charge — a price
  24. degree — an amount

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