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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: bank · ground · march · tube · stand · rush · ball · calf

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ground — a position
  11. tube — a container
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ball — a dance
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. bank — for money
  24. tube — in a tire

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