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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: rush · band · foot · prune · club · bound · clip · can

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. clip — to cut
  7. can — to be able to
  8. clip — for paper
  9. can — a tin
  10. foot — a measure
  11. club — for dancing
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rush — hurry
  15. band — a ring
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. prune — to trim
  20. clip — a video
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bound — certain

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