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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: jam · racket · bound · tube · mug · cabinet · object · band

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — to rob
  8. band — a music group
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. tube — a container
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bound — certain
  20. band — a ring
  21. tube — the underground
  22. object — a thing
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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