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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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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: mark · band · fan · board · staff · trunk · dip · firm

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. board — to get on
  3. firm — a company
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — a stick
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. board — a committee
  13. band — a ring
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. firm — steady
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. firm — decided
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. staff — employees
  20. dip — to sink
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. staff — employees
  24. trunk — of a car

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