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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: staff · object · jam · band · tube · bank · board · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. staff — a stick
  4. tube — the underground
  5. board — a committee
  6. object — to protest
  7. staff — employees
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. bank — for money
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. object — an aim
  15. band — a ring
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — help
  18. object — a thing
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. board — to get on
  21. band — a music group
  22. bank — of a river
  23. staff — employees
  24. hand — part of the body

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