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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: band · fine · dip · bound · rock · chair · key · rash

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bound — certain
  3. key — the most important part
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rash — a series
  7. fine — all right
  8. rock — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. band — a music group
  11. rash — hasty
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chair — a leader
  19. key — in music
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bound — obliged
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. chair — a professorship

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