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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: bass · cabinet · track · band · current · hand · bank · root

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. current — of water
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. track — a path
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a music group
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. band — a ring
  13. track — a song
  14. root — the cause
  15. bank — for money
  16. root — of a word
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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