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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. band — a ring
  8. track — a song
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. face — to confront
  11. band — a music group
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. track — to keep track
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. track — a path
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — to point toward
  21. branch — a division
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rock — a stone
  24. band — a rubber band

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