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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: date · club · stand · spell · sharp · bank · can · kid

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. club — for dancing
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. club — for golf
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stand — to bear
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. spell — magic
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bank — for money
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kid — to tease
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. club — a group
  21. kid — child
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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