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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 · date · pound · spell · last · cabinet · bound · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spell — magic
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. last — finally
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. last — final
  12. spell — a short time
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bound — obliged
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for golf
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spell — letters
  23. last — to go on
  24. date — on the calendar

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