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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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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: ball · bat · mine · suit · rash · bound · firm · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bound — obliged
  6. firm — decided
  7. rash — hasty
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bound — tied together
  11. club — for golf
  12. mine — for digging
  13. suit — to fit
  14. firm — steady
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rash — a series
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. firm — a company
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. club — a group
  24. bound — certain

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