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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: fan · bound · band · temple · bass · spring · spell · club

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bass — the fish
  3. band — a music group
  4. club — a group
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. spell — letters
  8. band — a ring
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bound — tied together
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. club — for dancing
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — for golf
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bound — certain
  24. fan — a supporter

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