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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: bat · season · mug · bound · mark · rock · arm · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. band — a music group
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. season — in sport
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bound — certain
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. season — of the year
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mug — to rob
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mug — a face

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