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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bound — obliged
  3. swing — in golf
  4. band — a music group
  5. bound — tied together
  6. swing — music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bound — certain
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. spring — of water
  17. mark — a trace
  18. band — a ring

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