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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: hand · band · club · jam · cap · cue · pound · bound

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cue — for pool
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bound — tied together
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bound — certain
  7. cap — a lid
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cap — of ice
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bound — obliged
  12. club — a group
  13. band — a music group
  14. cap — a hat
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. club — for golf
  22. hand — in cards
  23. band — a ring
  24. pound — for dogs

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