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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: stock · kid · band · fan · hide · bear · bay · stand

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stock — shares
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. band — a music group
  12. kid — child
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stock — goods
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stand — on your feet

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