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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: bound · season · drill · band · stand · suit · pitcher · plane

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — obliged
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. season — in sport
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. suit — in cards
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stand — to bear
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. suit — clothes
  14. band — a music group
  15. drill — a practice
  16. suit — to fit
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bound — tied together
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. band — a ring
  21. bound — certain
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. season — of the year

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