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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 120 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 · capital · wake · lean · prune · deal · rock · racket

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rock — a stone
  4. band — a ring
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. capital — money
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. deal — to handle
  15. band — a music group
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lean — thin
  20. capital — a city
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rock — music
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wake — a trail

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