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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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468
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: stick · bank · band · tube · bore · bass · cold · track

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — a path
  6. tube — the underground
  7. band — a ring
  8. tube — a container
  9. track — a song
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. track — to keep track
  17. band — a music group
  18. bank — for money
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cold — not warm
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bass — low music
  23. bank — for money
  24. bore — to tire

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