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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: straw · racket · band · cabinet · bound · craft · ground · jam

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. craft — a skill
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bound — obliged
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. band — a music group
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. craft — boats
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. craft — a handicraft

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