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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stand · roll · track · safe · band · deal · pit · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. track — a song
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. band — a ring
  6. roll — a cake
  7. band — a music group
  8. stand — to bear
  9. track — a path
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pit — a hole
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. roll — a list
  21. pit — in a race
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. deal — to handle

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