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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: spell · club · wave · pop · ruler · ground · band · chest

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pop — soda
  4. spell — magic
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. club — for golf
  7. band — a ring
  8. chest — a box
  9. band — a music group
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — a group
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ground — a position
  15. spell — a short time
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. club — for dancing
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pop — music
  22. spell — letters
  23. ground — the earth
  24. band — a rubber band

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