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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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Word bank
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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: key · band · fan · rest · ball · mark

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. band — a music group
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. band — a ring
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mark — a grade
  12. key — in music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mark — a trace
  18. key — the most important part

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