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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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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: stand · cell · tear · band · track · chip · season · bank

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. track — a song
  3. season — in sport
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tear — to rip
  6. cell — a phone
  7. track — to keep track
  8. band — a music group
  9. bank — of a river
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. band — a ring
  14. season — of the year
  15. track — a path
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cell — in a prison
  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