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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: ground · nail · club · charge · swing · race · wake · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ground — the earth
  3. swing — music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bound — certain
  7. club — for golf
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. charge — in control
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. charge — a price
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. swing — in golf
  23. ground — a position
  24. wake — a trail

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