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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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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: band · degree · pound · craft · rock · wave · date · net

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. net — in sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rock — music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. band — a ring
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pound — a weight
  14. net — for catching
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. net — after costs
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. craft — boats
  22. rock — a stone
  23. craft — a skill
  24. degree — from a university

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