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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 · wound · mark · club · spring · saw · pit · pop

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spring — of water
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bound — tied together
  10. club — for golf
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pit — in a race
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wound — an injury
  17. club — for dancing
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. club — a group
  23. pit — a hole
  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