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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. club — a group
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. band — a ring
  7. toast — bread
  8. bass — the fish
  9. tube — a container
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wind — moving air
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. band — a music group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wake — a trail
  18. club — for golf
  19. bass — low music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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