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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: squash · clip · trunk · mouse · bound · pit · bear · club

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bear — the animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. club — a group
  12. clip — a video
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. 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