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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: band · bank · pit · craft · pop · bat · content · fine

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pop — music
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bank — of a river
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. craft — boats
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fine — all right
  11. band — a music group
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. band — a ring
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bank — for money
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. pop — to visit
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. craft — a handicraft

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