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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: fork · band · rock · net · vault · can · bank · craft

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rock — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. craft — boats
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rock — a stone
  9. band — a music group
  10. net — for catching
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. net — after costs
  14. craft — a skill
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bank — of a river
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. can — to be able to
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. can — a tin
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. net — in sport
  24. fork — a garden tool

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