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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: pop · fork · stock · hand · band · track · bank · temple

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bank — for money
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fork — in a road
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. hand — help
  10. band — a music group
  11. stock — shares
  12. pop — soda
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stock — goods
  16. track — to keep track
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. band — a ring
  23. bank — of a river
  24. hand — in cards

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