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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · race · pound · deal · stick · shower

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. shower — rain
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. race — a contest
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. band — a ring
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. band — a music group
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pound — for dogs

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