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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: fork · bulb · bound · board · band · rule · pound · stick

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bulb — for light
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. band — a ring
  11. bound — certain
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rule — government
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. board — a committee
  22. pound — a weight
  23. board — to get on
  24. rule — a 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