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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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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: track · stand · band · game · current · pound · staff · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. row — to paddle
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. band — a ring
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — happening now
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. track — a path
  14. game — wild animals
  15. current — of water
  16. staff — employees
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. game — a match
  19. current — electric
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pound — a weight
  23. track — a song
  24. band — a music group

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