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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: land · hand · calf · swing · craft · stand · track · band

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. hand — help
  3. land — a country
  4. swing — to play on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. land — ground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. track — a path
  12. craft — boats
  13. band — a ring
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. craft — a skill
  16. swing — music
  17. stand — to bear
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. track — a song
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. band — a music group
  22. swing — in golf
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. track — to keep track

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