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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bank — for money
  17. pit — in a race
  18. lean — thin
  19. shower — rain
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stock — shares
  23. band — a ring
  24. stock — goods

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