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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 112 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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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: deal · last · band · can · key · bound · tube · fork

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. can — a tin
  4. key — in music
  5. band — a ring
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bound — certain
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. band — a music group
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. tube — a container
  16. can — a tin
  17. tube — the underground
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. deal — to handle
  24. last — finally

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