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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: calf · club · spell · staff · mark · season · pop · bound

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. club — a group
  4. season — of the year
  5. mark — a trace
  6. staff — employees
  7. pop — to visit
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bound — certain
  11. pop — soda
  12. spell — a short time
  13. staff — a stick
  14. season — in sport
  15. pop — music
  16. spell — magic
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spell — letters
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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