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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: pitcher · band · tube · bound · safe · leaves · mine · cap

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mine — for digging
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bound — obliged
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. tube — the underground
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bound — certain
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. tube — a container
  24. pitcher — a jug

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