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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: band · ground · toast · squash · roll · firm · wake · fan

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. band — a ring
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. roll — a list
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. roll — a cake
  17. firm — decided
  18. band — a music group
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. firm — steady
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. firm — a company
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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