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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: ground · can · chest · band · scale · pitcher · fine · bank

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bank — for money
  3. fine — high quality
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — a position
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — in music
  8. band — a ring
  9. fine — all right
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ground — the earth
  15. chest — a box
  16. bank — of a river
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — to be able to
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chest — of your body
  24. scale — for weighing

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