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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 116 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: mate · deal · wave · band · rash · pound · fine · prune

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. prune — to trim
  10. band — a ring
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fine — all right
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rash — a series
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mate — a partner

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