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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: bowl · chair · stand · hand · club · rash · bass · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. club — for dancing
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. club — for golf
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. hand — help
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rash — a series
  14. club — a group
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bass — the fish

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