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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: pound · shower · band · cabinet · bound · bowl · stick · root

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. shower — rain
  3. root — of a word
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bound — obliged
  9. band — a ring
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. root — the cause
  14. bound — tied together
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bound — certain
  21. band — a music group
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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