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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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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: wind · deal · band · club · bank · squash · mate · stand

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wind — moving air
  3. squash — to crush
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. deal — to handle
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wind — moving air
  10. club — for golf
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. club — a group
  15. band — a ring
  16. stand — to bear
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bank — of a river
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mate — a friend
  24. band — a music group

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