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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 116 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. band — a ring
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stock — goods
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bore — to drill
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stock — shares
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — to handle

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