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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · row · pitcher · bound · charge · stand

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. band — a music group
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bound — certain
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. charge — a price
  9. band — a ring
  10. bound — obliged
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bound — tied together
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pitcher — a jug

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