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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: toast · band · perch · object · mark · arm · wound · ball

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mark — a trace
  7. band — a music group
  8. object — to protest
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. toast — bread
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. band — a ring
  18. object — a thing
  19. perch — the fish
  20. object — an aim
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wound — an injury
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ball — a dance

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