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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 116 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: club · bass · degree · perch · pound · racket · bowl · bound

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. club — a group
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bound — obliged
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pound — a weight
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bound — certain
  15. club — for golf
  16. bass — low music
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pound — for dogs

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