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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: lean · pound · straw · object · suit · club · bound · capital

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. lean — thin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. club — a group
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. capital — a city
  12. suit — clothes
  13. object — an aim
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. capital — money
  17. object — a thing
  18. lean — to bend
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. object — to protest
  24. pound — a weight

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