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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 120 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: drill · mine · bound · rock · rush · pitcher · foot · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. band — a ring
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bound — certain
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rock — music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. drill — army training
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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