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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: bound · club · season · snap · sharp · stick · drill · ball

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. snap — to click
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. season — of the year
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bound — obliged
  10. drill — a practice
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — clever
  18. club — for golf
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bound — certain
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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