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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: can · jam · cold · fan · cue · band · bay · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cold — an illness
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. cue — a hint
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. band — a music group
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. band — a ring
  19. cue — for pool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cold — not warm
  22. can — a tin
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bound — tied together

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