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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: file · squash · can · pound · mate · ball · club · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mate — to breed
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ball — a dance
  5. file — a document
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. file — a line of people
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pound — a weight
  13. file — a tool
  14. squash — the sport
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. club — for golf
  18. squash — to crush
  19. club — a group
  20. band — a music group
  21. ball — a great time
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. can — to be able to

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