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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: bass · stand · club · degree · game · mouse · bound · arm

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. degree — from a university
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bound — certain
  14. bass — the fish
  15. club — for golf
  16. degree — an amount
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bass — low music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. degree — temperature

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