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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. court — of law
  4. can — to be able to
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bank — for money
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. can — a tin
  10. sharp — clever
  11. band — a ring
  12. court — for sport
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. can — a tin
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a music group
  22. stand — to bear
  23. court — of a king
  24. sharp — with an edge

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