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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bank — of a river
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bank — for money
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pop — soda
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bank — for money
  15. bear — the animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. band — a music group
  20. ball — a great time
  21. kid — child
  22. pop — music
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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