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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: rash · present · pitcher · bound · stand · foot · band · ground

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. present — the time now
  3. rash — a series
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bound — obliged
  7. present — a gift
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. present — there
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bound — certain
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ground — the earth
  17. band — a ring
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. foot — a measure

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