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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bank · tear · land · pop · staff · squash · band · racket

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. land — ground
  3. pop — soda
  4. staff — a stick
  5. land — to come down
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. staff — employees
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bank — for money
  12. band — a ring
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pop — to visit
  16. land — a country
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. staff — employees
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pop — music
  22. band — a music group
  23. bank — for money
  24. tear — to rip

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