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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: trunk · game · band · firm · bowl · date · bank · rush

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. band — a music group
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rush — hurry
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. date — the fruit
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bank — for money
  21. game — a match
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bank — of a river

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