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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — in control
  5. band — a ring
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. drill — a practice
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. charge — a price
  12. bank — of a river
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — soda
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pop — music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. band — a music group
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — to visit
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. perch — the fish

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