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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 · nail · bowl · land · bank · safe · game · can

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. band — a ring
  5. can — a tin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. band — a music group
  11. bank — for money
  12. game — a match
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bank — of a river
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. can — a tin
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. land — to come down
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bowl — a dish

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