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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: pop · present · fine · rule · date · mark · band · bound

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. present — there
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. present — the time now
  5. bound — certain
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. band — a ring
  8. rule — government
  9. pop — soda
  10. bound — tied together
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fine — all right
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mark — a grade
  17. present — a gift
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rule — a law
  23. pop — music
  24. fine — high quality

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