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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: band · bound · hand · stick · rock · temple · rule · pitcher

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rock — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bound — tied together
  13. band — a ring
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rule — a law
  16. hand — help
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — certain
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rule — government
  24. hand — part of the body

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