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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: rush · cold · deal · wave · bound · bank · club · scale

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bank — for money
  4. scale — in music
  5. bound — tied together
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bound — certain
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. club — for golf
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bank — for money
  16. cold — not warm
  17. club — a group
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. deal — a big deal

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