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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: last · board · stem · firm · craft · band · shower · racket

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. band — a music group
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. firm — steady
  13. board — a committee
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. last — final
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — to get on
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stem — to come from
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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