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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — a match
  6. staff — a stick
  7. band — a music group
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. can — a tin
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wake — a trail
  14. net — in sport
  15. band — a ring
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. net — after costs
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. net — for catching
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bore — to drill
  23. staff — employees
  24. can — a tin

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