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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: pop · bound · can · last · rash · club · plane · present

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bound — certain
  4. club — for golf
  5. rash — a series
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. can — a tin
  9. pop — soda
  10. club — for dancing
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. club — a group
  21. pop — to visit
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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