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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 120 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: stand · ball · band · foot · dip · deal · net · rash

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ball — a great time
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. net — after costs
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. band — a music group
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ball — a dance
  15. foot — a measure
  16. deal — to handle
  17. net — in sport
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. band — a ring
  23. stand — to bear
  24. net — for catching

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