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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: can · bowl · band · net · game · track · rush · dip

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. net — in sport
  6. band — a ring
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rush — hurry
  9. can — a tin
  10. game — a match
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. net — after costs
  15. band — a music group
  16. track — a path
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. can — to be able to
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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