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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: wax · club · lie · court · bass · suit · cue · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lie — to recline
  3. suit — in cards
  4. club — for golf
  5. wax — to grow
  6. club — a group
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. court — of a king
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — low music
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. court — for sport
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. court — of law

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