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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: saw · file · rest · club · game · rock · bound · board

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. club — a group
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. saw — the tool
  10. file — a tool
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bound — certain
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rest — what's left
  15. file — a line of people
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. file — a document
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bound — tied together
  22. club — for golf
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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