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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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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 · bear · rush · coach · pit · band · spell · saw

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. spell — letters
  4. saw — the tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. band — a music group
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spell — magic
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spell — a short time

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