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

Word bank: band · bulb · toast · land · bark · vault · stand · arm

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stand — to bear
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. toast — bread
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. band — a ring
  9. vault — a safe
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bark — to shout
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. land — to come down
  19. bulb — for light
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. land — a country
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. land — ground
  24. band — a rubber band

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