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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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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: bound · mate · band · sharp · hand · club · mouse · stick

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. club — a group
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bound — certain
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mate — a friend
  11. band — a music group
  12. bound — tied together
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. club — for golf
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. band — a ring
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a rubber band

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