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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. band — a music group
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. band — a ring
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — in music
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — the underground
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. swing — music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. tube — a container
  23. bank — of a river
  24. trunk — of a car

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