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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 116 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: club · ground · bound · lean · tube · season · wave · scale

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. tube — a container
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bound — certain
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bound — tied together
  10. tube — the underground
  11. club — for dancing
  12. season — of the year
  13. club — for golf
  14. ground — the earth
  15. season — in sport
  16. club — a group
  17. ground — a position
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. scale — size or range
  23. season — to add flavour
  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