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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: bound · cap · band · date · current · bank · degree · hide

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. date — the fruit
  3. cap — a hat
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bank — for money
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bank — for money
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bank — of a river
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. current — happening now
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bound — tied together
  18. degree — from a university
  19. band — a ring
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. degree — an amount
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cap — a lid
  24. hide — animal skin

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