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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cell — a phone
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rock — music
  7. bank — for money
  8. content — the amount
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. bank — of a river
  15. content — happy
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spell — magic
  21. bank — for money
  22. spell — letters
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. content — videos and posts

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