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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: cell · bound · club · stand · arm · chair

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cell — in biology
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stand — to bear
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cell — a phone
  8. club — a group
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. club — for golf
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bound — certain

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