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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wake — a trail
  3. band — a ring
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bank — for money
  6. band — a music group
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bark — to shout
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. firm — a company
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. net — in sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — for money
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bank — of a river
  20. firm — steady
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. firm — decided

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