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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: tube · foot · fan · ball · bear · land · fine · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. land — ground
  4. band — a music group
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a great time
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — a measure
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bear — the animal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fine — all right
  14. tube — a container
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bear — the animal
  19. land — to come down
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. land — a country
  24. foot — part of the body

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