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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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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: club · kid · date · roll · rest · firm · dip · bound

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bound — tied together
  3. roll — a list
  4. firm — a company
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rest — a break
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rest — what's left
  15. club — for dancing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bound — certain
  19. roll — a cake
  20. firm — steady
  21. club — a group
  22. date — the fruit
  23. firm — decided
  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