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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. club — a group
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. deal — to handle
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cell — a phone
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bound — certain
  20. cell — in biology
  21. club — for golf
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. prune — to trim

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