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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: capital · band · rest · clip · bear · stick · firm · track

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. clip — for paper
  7. track — a song
  8. bear — the animal
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. rest — what's left
  12. track — a path
  13. band — a music group
  14. rest — a break
  15. firm — a company
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. capital — a city
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. clip — to cut
  20. firm — steady
  21. clip — a video
  22. firm — decided
  23. track — to keep track
  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