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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: rock · bound · race · club · cell · trunk

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rock — music
  3. club — a group
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bound — obliged
  7. club — for golf
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. race — humankind
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bound — certain
  13. cell — in biology
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. cell — a phone
  17. club — for dancing
  18. trunk — of an elephant

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