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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. track — a song
  3. wind — moving air
  4. club — for golf
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. club — a group
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — boats
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bound — certain
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. track — a path
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. squash — to crush
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bound — tied together
  24. club — for dancing

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