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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a ring
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. scale — in music
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. band — a music group
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bank — for money

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