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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: saw · deal · track · pitcher · band · cap · squash · bear

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bear — the animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. cap — a hat
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cap — of ice
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. saw — the tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. track — a path
  14. band — a music group
  15. bear — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cap — a lid

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