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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.

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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: racket · spring · bound · wax · ruler · band · club · tube

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spring — the season
  3. club — for dancing
  4. band — a ring
  5. bound — certain
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. club — for golf
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. spring — of water
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. club — a group
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bound — obliged
  18. band — a music group
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. spring — a coil
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bound — tied together

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