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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 116 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: charge · nail · ground · bound · staff · band · plane · pitcher

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bound — tied together
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ground — crushed
  7. plane — a tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. charge — a price
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. band — a ring
  13. staff — employees
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bound — obliged
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bound — certain
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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