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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: track · band · stand · present · safe · spell · bark · bound

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. track — to keep track
  8. present — there
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. band — a music group
  11. present — a gift
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bound — tied together
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bark — to shout
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. present — the time now
  18. bound — certain
  19. track — a song
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. band — a ring
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stand — to bear

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