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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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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: date · bound · stick · pitcher · mark · band

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bound — certain
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. band — a music group
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. date — the fruit
  15. band — a ring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bound — obliged

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