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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: racket · bound · present · cold · roll · bank · craft · club

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. club — for golf
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cold — an illness
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bank — for money
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. roll — a list
  12. club — for dancing
  13. present — a gift
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bound — certain
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bank — for money
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cold — not warm
  20. club — a group
  21. present — there
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bank — of a river

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