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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: plane · season · date · bound · band · pound · stand · present

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bound — tied together
  6. present — there
  7. bound — certain
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bound — obliged
  11. band — a music group
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stand — to bear
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. plane — a tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. band — a ring
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. present — the time now

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