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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: hide · key · band · racket · perch · tube · game · ruler

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. tube — the underground
  6. perch — the fish
  7. key — in music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — a match
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — a container
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. key — for a lock
  22. game — wild animals
  23. band — a music group
  24. perch — for a bird

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