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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: stand · chair · bark · bound · club · wind · chip · wave

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bound — obliged
  4. club — for golf
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chip — for betting
  12. club — a group
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bound — certain
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bound — tied together

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