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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: club · bank · stand · season · land · drill · fan · craft

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. club — a group
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. craft — boats
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bank — of a river
  8. drill — the tool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. drill — army training
  15. season — of the year
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. season — in sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bank — for money
  22. land — a country
  23. club — for golf
  24. land — to come down

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