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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 116 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: mate · season · rash · pound · bound · row · fan · club

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. row — to paddle
  8. season — of the year
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rash — a series
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. season — in sport
  13. mate — to breed
  14. club — for golf
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. club — a group
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bound — certain
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  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