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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pitch — completely
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bound — obliged
  7. track — a song
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. band — a music group
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. firm — steady
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. track — to keep track
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. band — a ring
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bound — certain
  22. track — a path
  23. firm — a company
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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