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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. ball — a dance
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bank — for money
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bank — of a river
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bound — certain
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ball — a great time
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. game — a match
  22. stem — to come from
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bank — for money

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