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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: safe · mark · pitcher · cap · band · last · cue · bound

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bound — certain
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cue — a hint
  8. last — final
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cap — a lid
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. band — a music group
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. band — a ring

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