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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: lie · band · bound · deal · bowl · rush · jam · stock

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stock — shares
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. band — a music group
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bound — obliged
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. band — a ring
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stock — goods
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bound — certain
  24. deal — a big deal

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