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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: tube · pop · court · pound · cell · club · ruler · bound

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. court — for sport
  5. bound — obliged
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — a container
  9. cell — in biology
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pop — to visit
  13. court — of a king
  14. bound — certain
  15. club — for golf
  16. cell — a phone
  17. court — of law
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pop — music
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pop — soda

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