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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: bowl · charge · band · kid · firm · spring · bound · foot

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. firm — steady
  6. band — a music group
  7. firm — a company
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bound — tied together
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. charge — a price
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. charge — in control
  14. firm — decided
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. kid — child
  17. band — a ring
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bound — certain
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spring — a coil
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bowl — a dish

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