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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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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: wave · pop · wound · fork · board · toast · rock · band

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. band — a ring
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. toast — bread
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rock — music
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wound — an injury
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pop — soda
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pop — music
  19. fork — in a road
  20. band — a music group
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. board — a committee
  24. pop — to visit

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