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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: file · fine · band · stand · prune · mark · bowl · trunk

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. file — a tool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stand — to bear
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mark — a trace
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. band — a music group
  15. file — a line of people
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. file — a document
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. band — a ring
  24. prune — the fruit

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