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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 116 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pop — music
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rock — a stone
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rock — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. board — a committee
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bound — certain
  15. pop — soda
  16. cap — a lid
  17. board — to get on
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cap — a hat
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cap — of ice
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. band — a music group

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