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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: bound · cue · mouse · nail · fine · land · arm · band

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — a hint
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bound — certain
  9. fine — all right
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. land — a country
  14. band — a music group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — ground
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cue — for pool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. band — a ring

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