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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: bound · bear · pound · mark · band · file · suit · racket

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. file — a document
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. suit — to fit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a ring
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. suit — clothes
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. suit — in cards
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bound — obliged
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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