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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: board · band · date · bound · file · deal · stem · swing

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bound — certain
  4. file — a line of people
  5. band — a music group
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bound — obliged
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bound — tied together
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. swing — music
  14. file — a tool
  15. swing — to play on
  16. deal — to handle
  17. board — to get on
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. file — a document
  20. board — a committee
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a rubber band

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