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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: content · scale · bank · hand · jam · wake · pop · stand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stand — to bear
  5. content — happy
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pop — music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bank — for money
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pop — soda
  15. scale — in music
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bank — for money
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. content — the amount
  24. jam — in traffic

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