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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 116 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: ground · mine · band · rock · pitch · fan · bank · can

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. can — a tin
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bank — of a river
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mine — for digging
  15. can — a tin
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. band — a music group
  18. ground — a position
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a ring

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