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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: game · band · craft · lean · pitch · stick · bank · cabinet

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bank — for money
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. game — a match
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bank — of a river
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. band — a music group
  14. lean — thin
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bank — for money
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. craft — boats

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