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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
468
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: file · stand · band · scale · pop · swing · wind · bound

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wind — moving air
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stand — to bear
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. band — a music group
  15. pop — soda
  16. scale — in music
  17. pop — music
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. file — a tool
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bound — obliged

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