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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: fine · game · mug · bound · field · pop · dip · club

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pop — soda
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pop — music
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mug — a cup
  10. club — a group
  11. dip — to sink
  12. field — a subject
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. bound — certain
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fine — high quality
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mug — a face
  20. bound — tied together
  21. field — for sport
  22. mug — to rob
  23. field — farmland
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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