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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: firm · mine · rule · craft · swing · can · club · bound

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. firm — a company
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bound — certain
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. swing — in golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. craft — boats
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. firm — steady
  15. swing — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — for golf
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rule — a law
  22. club — a group
  23. firm — decided
  24. rule — government

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