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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stand — to bear
  4. band — a ring
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. band — a music group
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pound — a weight

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