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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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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: kick · fan · cap · bank · club · roll · bound · game

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — in football
  5. club — for dancing
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — a lid
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bound — tied together
  11. club — for golf
  12. bound — certain
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bank — of a river
  15. roll — a list
  16. cap — of ice
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. game — a match
  22. club — a group
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fan — a supporter

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