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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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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: net · band · firm · wake · nail · stand · jam · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. band — a music group
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. scale — in music
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. net — in sport
  10. band — a ring
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. net — after costs
  13. firm — decided
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. scale — size or range
  16. firm — steady
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. firm — a company
  19. wake — a trail
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — for catching

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