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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 · bank · scale · saw · snap · wave · date · ground

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bank — of a river
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. scale — size or range
  16. snap — to click
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bank — for money
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. ground — a position
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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