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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. march — the month
  3. bound — tied together
  4. current — happening now
  5. bound — obliged
  6. charge — in control
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bound — certain
  12. march — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — a price
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — electric
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. charge — electricity
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. current — of water
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. march — the month

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