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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: cell · game · bay · fork · tear · bound · club · stand

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cell — a phone
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bound — tied together
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cell — in biology
  8. game — a match
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. club — a group
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bound — certain
  20. club — for golf
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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