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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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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 · club · can · game · cell · trunk · hand · bank

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. club — a group
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hand — in cards
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. game — a match
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bank — for money
  13. cell — in biology
  14. hand — help
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bank — of a river
  19. can — a tin
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. club — for golf
  24. bank — for money

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