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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: land · roll · trunk · rash · deal · bound · club · rush

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. club — a group
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bound — obliged
  6. land — ground
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bound — certain
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rush — hurry
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rash — a series
  17. roll — a list
  18. land — a country
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. club — for golf
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. land — to come down
  24. roll — a cake

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