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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 120 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. degree — an amount
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. face — part of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. ball — a great time
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. degree — temperature
  24. band — a music group

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