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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
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: bank · firm · game · content · mouse · band · stick · net

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. firm — steady
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. game — a match
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. net — for catching
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — after costs
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. firm — decided
  13. bank — of a river
  14. content — happy
  15. bank — for money
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bank — for money
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. firm — a company
  21. net — in sport
  22. game — wild animals
  23. band — a ring
  24. content — the amount

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