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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: mark · march · pound · spell · object · band · club · spring

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. spring — the season
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mark — a trace
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. club — for golf
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — a grade
  13. march — the month
  14. object — an aim
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. club — a group
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spring — of water
  19. object — a thing
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. march — music
  23. band — a ring
  24. object — to protest

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