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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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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: stand · swing · pound · bound · ground · wake · can · band

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bound — tied together
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ground — a position
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a music group
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bound — certain
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stand — to bear
  20. swing — music
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pound — for dogs

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