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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 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. can — a tin
  4. content — the amount
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. kid — to tease
  7. band — a music group
  8. bound — obliged
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. content — happy
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — to be able to
  13. band — a ring
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — tied together
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. can — a tin
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bound — certain

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