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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: mouse · nail · pop · arm · band · track · wound · bowl

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pop — soda
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pop — to visit
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a music group
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. track — a path
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. track — a song
  19. band — a ring
  20. wound — an injury
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. track — to keep track

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