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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. band — a ring
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bound — obliged
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. press — to push
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. press — a publisher
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chair — a leader
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bound — tied together
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pound — a weight
  21. band — a music group
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bound — certain

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