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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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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: jam · game · rest · march · band · bound · ruler · bay

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. march — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. game — a match
  6. march — the month
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — tied together
  10. march — the month
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rest — a break
  13. band — a music group
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. band — a ring
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bound — obliged
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rest — what's left
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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