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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · net · rock · object · kid · mine · season · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. object — an aim
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. band — a music group
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. season — of the year
  11. kid — child
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. net — after costs
  15. rock — music
  16. net — in sport
  17. kid — to tease
  18. band — a ring
  19. object — to protest
  20. net — for catching
  21. object — a thing
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. season — in sport

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