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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 · foot · wind · mark · stock · vault · date · bound

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bound — certain
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stock — shares
  12. wind — moving air
  13. band — a music group
  14. stock — goods
  15. band — a ring
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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