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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · bank · staff · band · deal · bass · shower · bowl

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. band — a music group
  8. deal — to handle
  9. shower — to wash
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. shower — rain
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bank — of a river

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