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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: bank · shower · track · band · board · cue · jam · plane

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cue — for pool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cue — a signal
  5. band — a music group
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. plane — a tool
  9. track — a path
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. board — to get on
  12. bank — of a river
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cue — a hint
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. band — a ring
  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