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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. club — for golf
  6. shower — rain
  7. bank — of a river
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. field — for sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bank — for money
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. club — a group
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. trunk — of a car

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