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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: club · toast · craft · leaves · land · deal · bound · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. band — a music group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. craft — boats
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. club — for golf
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. deal — to handle
  14. land — to come down
  15. club — a group
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bound — obliged
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bound — certain
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. toast — bread

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