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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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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: perch · stick · band · pit · bound · lash · mate · club

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pit — in a race
  3. club — a group
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. band — a ring
  10. club — for golf
  11. bound — certain
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mate — to breed
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. band — a music group
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — for dancing

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