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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: jam · wind · content · mark · bound · board · band · bear

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bound — certain
  4. band — a ring
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bound — obliged
  8. board — a committee
  9. bear — the animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. board — to get on
  15. wind — moving air
  16. content — happy
  17. bound — tied together
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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