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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: bound · fan · band · arm · coach · track · stock · temple

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. band — a music group
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stock — goods
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. band — a ring
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stock — shares
  14. track — a song
  15. bound — obliged
  16. track — to keep track
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bound — tied together
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. track — a path

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