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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: stick · staff · pitcher · bank · saw · band · board · shower

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bank — for money
  3. band — a music group
  4. staff — employees
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. staff — a stick
  15. board — a committee
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — rain
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. shower — to wash
  23. board — to get on
  24. band — a ring

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