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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · mug · bark · pound · spring · band · suit · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. band — a ring
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spring — of water
  10. mug — a face
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mug — to rob
  13. spring — the season
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cell — in biology
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mug — a cup
  19. net — in sport
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spring — a coil
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pound — a weight
  24. band — a music group

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