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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: stand · mark · band · bound · net · prune · file · rush

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. net — for catching
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. net — after costs
  8. bound — certain
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bound — obliged
  11. band — a ring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. net — in sport
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. band — a music group
  20. file — a tool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bound — tied together

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