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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: club · board · present · pop · chest · shower · object · bound

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. present — the time now
  4. pop — to visit
  5. object — an aim
  6. shower — to wash
  7. object — to protest
  8. present — there
  9. board — to get on
  10. pop — music
  11. club — for dancing
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bound — tied together
  14. object — a thing
  15. shower — rain
  16. pop — soda
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. club — a group
  20. present — a gift
  21. club — for golf
  22. board — a committee
  23. bound — certain
  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