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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 120 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: chip · bear · bass · bound · club · saw · wind · calf

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bound — certain
  6. club — a group
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bound — tied together
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wind — moving air
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. club — for golf
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bass — low music

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