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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 116 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 · stock · ball · bear · rush · fine · spell · bound

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stock — shares
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. band — a music group
  7. spell — letters
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fine — high quality
  15. band — a ring
  16. bound — certain
  17. stock — goods
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ball — a great time
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — magic

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