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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 120 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: club · bound · safe · drill · ball · wound · stand · deal

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wound — an injury
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. club — for golf
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. drill — a practice
  9. club — a group
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bound — tied together
  16. drill — army training
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wound — an injury

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