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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 · wind · pass · coach · squash · stock · spring · toast

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stock — shares
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wind — moving air
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wind — moving air
  12. squash — the sport
  13. band — a ring
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. spring — the season
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spring — of water
  21. stock — goods
  22. spring — a coil
  23. toast — bread
  24. stock — a soup base

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