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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 116 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: mate · content · stand · race · band · saw · trunk · pit

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. race — the arms race
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. content — the amount
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mate — to breed
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stand — to bear
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. band — a ring
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mate — a partner
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mate — a friend
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. content — happy
  22. saw — the tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. stand — for spectators

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