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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mate — a partner
  4. net — in sport
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — after costs
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. drill — army training
  21. mate — a friend
  22. net — for catching
  23. band — a ring
  24. scale — in music

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