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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: rule · bank · craft · club · clip · bound · bay · racket

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. clip — for paper
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — certain
  5. rule — government
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. clip — a video
  12. club — a group
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. craft — a skill
  15. club — for golf
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rule — a law
  18. craft — boats
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bank — for money
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — obliged

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