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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: object · band · cabinet · stand · trunk · dip · mate · racket

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mate — a friend
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mate — to breed
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stand — to bear
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. dip — to sink
  20. band — a music group
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. band — a ring
  24. stand — for spectators

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