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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: stand · board · rule · ground · prune · can · band · bank

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. band — a ring
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — to get on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a music group
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — a tin
  10. rule — government
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. can — a tin
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. board — a committee
  20. rule — a law
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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