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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bound — certain
  6. fine — all right
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bass — low music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. prune — to trim
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fine — high quality
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bound — obliged
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. sharp — exactly

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