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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. row — a line
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bound — certain

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