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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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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: deal · band · mark · bound · bass · roll · shower · trunk

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. deal — to handle
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. shower — to wash
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bass — the fish
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. shower — rain
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — certain
  16. bass — low music
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. bound — obliged
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. band — a ring
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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