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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 · cell · present · club · stick · calf · rash · stand

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. club — for golf
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. present — a gift
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rash — hasty
  7. present — there
  8. club — a group
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. club — for dancing
  11. present — the time now
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rash — a series
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a ring

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