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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 · band · date · vault · stand · cell · racket · ball

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. date — the fruit
  3. ball — a dance
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. band — a music group
  6. ball — a great time
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. vault — a safe
  19. band — a ring
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cell — in biology

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