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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 · stock · key · coach · squash · wax · band · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stock — goods
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. key — in music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — the sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. band — a music group
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bank — for money
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stock — shares
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. squash — to crush
  21. key — the most important part
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bank — for money

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