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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: stand · bank · ground · race · cap · band · stem · arm

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — humankind
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ground — a position
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bank — for money
  10. race — a contest
  11. band — a ring
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ground — crushed
  22. band — a music group
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. arm — part of the body

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