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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — final
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — to go on
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. band — a music group
  18. fine — all right
  19. last — finally
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. band — a ring

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