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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: can · track · tube · kid · club · craft · bound · bore

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. tube — a container
  4. club — a group
  5. can — a tin
  6. track — a song
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. track — to keep track
  10. can — a tin
  11. club — for golf
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bore — to tire
  19. can — to be able to
  20. track — a path
  21. kid — child
  22. craft — a skill
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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