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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: calf · craft · band · rock · stem · pitch · content · march

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. band — a ring
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. craft — boats
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. march — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. band — a music group
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. content — the amount
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. content — happy

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