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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 116 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: pop · hand · bound · mark · band · pitcher · cap · swing

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hand — in cards
  4. swing — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pop — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. band — a ring
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bound — certain
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pop — soda
  23. cap — a lid
  24. hand — help

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