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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. craft — boats
  6. band — a music group
  7. fine — high quality
  8. clip — a video
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fine — all right
  15. band — a ring
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. clip — to cut
  24. craft — a handicraft

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