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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 120 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: race · band · spell · trunk · swing · fine · stock · pass

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. race — the arms race
  3. band — a music group
  4. swing — in golf
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. race — a contest
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. fine — all right
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stock — shares
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stock — goods
  16. race — humankind
  17. fine — high quality
  18. band — a ring
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. spell — letters
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fine — a penalty

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