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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 116 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: stock · rush · content · bowl · stand · ball · last · band

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. band — a music group
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. last — finally
  9. stock — goods
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. band — a ring
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stock — shares
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. ball — a great time
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. ball — a dance

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