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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: jam · staff · wake · band · march · roll · bank · pop

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. march — the month
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pop — soda
  7. staff — employees
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pop — to visit
  10. roll — a list
  11. pop — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. staff — employees
  15. band — a ring
  16. bank — for money
  17. band — a music group
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. march — music
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. march — the month
  22. roll — a cake
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. staff — a stick

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