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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · bank · cabinet · bark · rock · band · pitcher · dip

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — music
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bark — to shout
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bank — of a river
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. band — a music group
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cap — a lid

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