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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. band — a music group
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bound — certain
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fork — in a road
  10. band — a ring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — in music
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — to drill
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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