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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: roll · board · band · bound · mug · key · cap · chair

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chair — a leader
  4. roll — a list
  5. board — to get on
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. key — the most important part
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. key — in music
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mug — to rob
  19. band — a ring
  20. board — a committee
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. key — for a lock

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