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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. bound — certain
  2. band — a ring
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stand — to bear
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. club — for golf
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  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