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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 · prune · cap · bay · dip · band · track · cabinet

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. track — a song
  7. prune — to trim
  8. band — a music group
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bound — tied together
  12. dip — to sink
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cap — a lid
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bound — certain
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cap — of ice
  21. track — to keep track
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — obliged
  24. dip — a sauce

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