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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: rock · band · pound · fan · wind · content

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wind — moving air
  4. content — the amount
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. band — a ring
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. band — a music group
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wind — moving air

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