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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: bowl · stand · bark · trunk · craft · band · content · cue

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. cue — for pool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stand — to bear
  6. craft — boats
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. content — the amount
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. band — a ring
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. content — happy

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