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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: nail · wake · stick · root · object · march · land · band

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — the cause
  5. band — a music group
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. march — the month
  9. object — an aim
  10. wake — a trail
  11. root — of a word
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — to protest
  14. land — ground
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. land — a country
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. march — the month
  21. band — a ring
  22. land — to come down
  23. object — a thing
  24. march — music

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