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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: squash · club · land · lean · bound · bowl · date · spell

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bound — obliged
  5. club — for golf
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lean — thin
  9. spell — magic
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. spell — a short time
  15. land — to come down
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. spell — letters
  18. land — ground
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. land — a country
  21. bound — tied together
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. club — a group
  24. squash — the sport

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