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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: cabinet · wake · pop · craft · bank · rock · band · fine

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. craft — boats
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. bank — for money
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pop — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rock — music
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pop — soda
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bank — for money
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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