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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: hide · club · mouse · date · craft · bound · ground · leaves

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. club — for dancing
  9. date — the fruit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bound — certain
  14. club — for golf
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ground — the earth
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bound — obliged
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ground — crushed
  24. craft — boats

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