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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: object · capital · board · last · band · swing · safe · trunk

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. band — a ring
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. object — to protest
  6. board — a committee
  7. swing — music
  8. board — to get on
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. swing — to play on
  13. capital — money
  14. swing — in golf
  15. band — a music group
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — finally
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. capital — a city
  21. object — a thing
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. object — an aim

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