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

Word bank: bound · club · race · bank · stick · deal

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bank — for money
  4. club — for dancing
  5. race — humankind
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. club — a group
  9. bank — of a river
  10. club — for golf
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bound — certain
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bound — tied together
  18. race — a contest

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