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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 120 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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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: firm · racket · band · fall · board · vault · land · bank

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bank — for money
  3. firm — steady
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — to come down
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. land — a country
  10. firm — decided
  11. band — a music group
  12. land — ground
  13. fall — to drop
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. firm — a company
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. bank — of a river
  19. board — a committee
  20. vault — a safe
  21. band — a ring
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — to get on
  24. racket — for tennis

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