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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: leaves · suit · foot · roll · pitcher · bank · spring · band

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. band — a music group
  3. bank — of a river
  4. band — a ring
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. roll — a list
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. suit — in cards
  15. spring — the season
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bank — for money
  19. suit — clothes
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. suit — to fit
  24. spring — of water

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