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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: band · lean · craft · firm · roll · capital · chair · fan

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a ring
  6. capital — money
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. craft — boats
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. roll — a list
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. firm — decided
  17. craft — a skill
  18. capital — a city
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. band — a music group
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lean — thin
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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