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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: object · hand · band · pop · arm · stem · date · can

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. object — a thing
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. date — the fruit
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. hand — in cards
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pop — soda
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. hand — help
  15. band — a ring
  16. object — an aim
  17. pop — music
  18. object — to protest
  19. pop — to visit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stem — to come from

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