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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. present — a gift
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bound — certain
  5. mug — a cup
  6. present — the time now
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. drill — army training
  11. mug — a face
  12. band — a music group
  13. board — to get on
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. board — a committee
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. present — there

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