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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: jam · wound · band · bear · club · rock · cell · can

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cell — a phone
  8. can — a tin
  9. rock — music
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a ring
  12. cell — in biology
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rock — a stone
  22. club — a group
  23. bear — the animal
  24. band — a music group

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