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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: stick · arm · bound · object · patient · club · fall · bass

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bass — the fish
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — low music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — tied together
  14. object — a thing
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. club — for golf
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bound — certain
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. club — for dancing
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fall — to drop

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