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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: key · band · tube · wound · suit · staff · stick · racket

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. key — the most important part
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — in music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. key — for a lock
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a ring
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wound — an injury
  24. racket — a loud noise

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