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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · rest · track · dip · ball · mine · bear · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ball — a dance
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. track — a song
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bear — the animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cap — a hat
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rest — a break
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ball — a great time

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