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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: lean · mine · bowl · rash · bound · suit · club · pit

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lean — thin
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bound — certain
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rash — a series
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bound — tied together
  21. club — for golf
  22. suit — in cards
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. club — a group

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