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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — ground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rock — music
  10. band — a ring
  11. rock — a stone
  12. band — a music group
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. mate — to breed
  15. land — to come down
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bank — of a river
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mate — a partner
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. land — a country

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