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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: stand · net · trunk · can · sharp · bay · date · band

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. net — for catching
  5. date — the fruit
  6. net — after costs
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. sharp — clever
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. can — a tin
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. net — in sport
  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