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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: bank · perch · key · band · tube · board · rock · spell

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. board — to get on
  3. key — in music
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — a stone
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tube — the underground
  8. key — for a lock
  9. perch — the fish
  10. tube — a container
  11. board — a committee
  12. spell — magic
  13. key — the most important part
  14. band — a music group
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spell — letters
  19. bank — of a river
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spell — a short time
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rock — music
  24. band — a rubber band

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