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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: foot · jam · band · tube · key · stick · court · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. key — in music
  3. band — a ring
  4. key — for a lock
  5. band — a music group
  6. tube — a container
  7. court — of a king
  8. foot — a measure
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rash — a series
  14. court — for sport
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. court — of law
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. key — the most important part

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