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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · temple · swing · bound · pop · chip · bear · leaves

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bound — certain
  3. club — a group
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. chip — to eat
  7. club — for golf
  8. pop — soda
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. swing — to play on
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pop — music
  13. bound — obliged
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pop — to visit
  22. swing — music
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bear — the animal

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