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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
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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: spell · wake · chair · game · mug · pop · fork · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. band — a ring
  6. pop — to visit
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. spell — a short time
  9. game — a match
  10. band — a music group
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pop — soda
  13. wake — a trail
  14. spell — letters
  15. fork — in a road
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mug — a face
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pop — music
  24. spell — magic

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