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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. key — for a lock
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. key — in music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bear — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bear — the animal
  24. can — a tin

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