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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: swing · band · fan · mark · bound · object · prune · rock

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. swing — in golf
  6. object — an aim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. object — to protest
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rock — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. band — a ring
  18. bound — certain
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. object — a thing

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