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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. content — happy
  3. can — a tin
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. content — the amount
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — of a word
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bank — of a river
  18. band — a ring
  19. can — a tin
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. root — the cause
  23. stand — to bear
  24. can — to be able to

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