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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. present — the time now
  3. fine — all right
  4. present — a gift
  5. club — for dancing
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. band — a music group
  11. key — in music
  12. band — a ring
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. present — there
  16. bound — certain
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. key — for a lock
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fine — high quality
  22. club — a group
  23. bound — obliged
  24. row — a quarrel

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