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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
468
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: racket · bowl · ground · file · temple · band · tube · plane

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. plane — a tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ground — crushed
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. band — a music group
  9. ground — a position
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ground — the earth
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. tube — a container
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. file — a line of people
  22. tube — the underground
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. plane — an aircraft

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