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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 · bark · band · stick · toast · bowl · date · pop

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pop — soda
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bound — certain
  15. pop — music
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. toast — bread
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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