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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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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bound — certain
  3. club — for golf
  4. bound — tied together
  5. firm — steady
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bound — obliged
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — to handle
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. club — a group
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. firm — decided
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. firm — a company
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. drill — army training

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