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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: game · band · key · jam · leaves · spring · stick · stock

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stock — goods
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. band — a ring
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. key — in music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stock — shares
  18. band — a music group
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — a match

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