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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: bound · court · rush · pit · wind · band · club · rule

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. club — for golf
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pit — a hole
  7. band — a ring
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. club — a group
  14. band — a music group
  15. bound — certain
  16. wind — moving air
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rule — government
  20. court — for sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bound — obliged

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