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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: rush · perch · fan · cue · jam · mark · band · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cue — a hint
  4. band — a ring
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. band — a music group
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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