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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 120 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: suit · mark · club · hand · bound · fan · bank · calf

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. club — for golf
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hand — help
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bound — tied together
  16. club — a group
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mark — a trace
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — certain
  24. club — for dancing

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