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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fork — in a road
  3. court — of a king
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. court — of law
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. band — a music group
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. prune — to trim
  20. court — for sport
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. band — a ring
  24. wound — an injury

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