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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 120 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: game · track · bowl · club · fan · object · rest · band

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. club — for golf
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. club — for dancing
  16. band — a music group
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. band — a ring
  21. club — a group
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fan — a supporter

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