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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: deal · board · can · temple · bass · band · court · bound

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bass — the fish
  3. band — a music group
  4. court — for sport
  5. bound — obliged
  6. board — a committee
  7. bound — tied together
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. can — a tin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. can — a tin
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. board — to get on
  17. court — of a king
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bass — low music
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bound — certain
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. court — of law

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