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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 116 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: rock · band · bank · staff · charge · present · mouse · saw

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. charge — in control
  3. staff — a stick
  4. band — a music group
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rock — music
  8. band — a ring
  9. staff — employees
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. present — there
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. charge — a price
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — for money
  21. present — the time now
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. present — a gift

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