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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · band · rule · club · bay · calf · spring · jam

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. game — a match
  3. band — a ring
  4. rule — a law
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. club — a group
  12. spring — a coil
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. spring — of water
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rule — government
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spring — the season
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. club — for dancing

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