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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — in sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. band — a music group
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. suit — clothes
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bank — for money
  15. season — of the year
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — wild animals
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. band — a ring

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