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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: wind · club · stand · suit · bound · can · spring · ball

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bound — obliged
  6. can — a tin
  7. suit — in cards
  8. can — a tin
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bound — tied together
  11. spring — of water
  12. ball — a great time
  13. club — for golf
  14. spring — the season
  15. suit — to fit
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bound — certain
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. can — to be able to
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wind — moving air

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