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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
468
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 · band · roll · board · court · straw · mug · fork

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. fork — in a road
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mug — a cup
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. object — a thing
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. roll — a list
  18. object — an aim
  19. band — a ring
  20. mug — a face
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. court — of a king
  24. object — to protest

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