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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: fine · band · hand · key · suit · staff · pound · stand

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fine — all right
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. hand — help
  21. staff — a stick
  22. key — in music
  23. band — a ring
  24. key — for a lock

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