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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · last · chair · band · swing · plane · pit · net

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. last — to go on
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pit — in a race
  6. band — a music group
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. swing — in golf
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bound — certain
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. net — for catching
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. swing — music
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chair — a professorship

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