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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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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bound — certain
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. game — a match
  6. pop — music
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. chair — a leader
  9. can — a tin
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. club — a group
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. club — for dancing
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bound — tied together
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pop — to visit

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