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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: racket · date · wound · firm · can · nail · bank · band

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — to be able to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. date — the fruit
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. firm — decided
  15. can — a tin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bank — of a river
  18. band — a music group
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. can — a tin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a ring
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bank — for money

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