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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: date · stand · band · ruler · capital · bowl · straw · root

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stand — to bear
  8. capital — money
  9. date — the fruit
  10. root — the cause
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. root — of a word
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. band — a ring
  20. root — of a plant
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. band — a music group
  24. date — on the calendar

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