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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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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: stand · stem · mug · rest · band · racket · board · perch

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mug — a cup
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. band — a ring
  6. rest — a break
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rest — what's left
  9. band — a music group
  10. stem — to come from
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — to get on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. board — a committee

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