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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pop — soda
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cell — a phone
  5. board — a committee
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pop — to visit
  10. object — a thing
  11. pound — a weight
  12. game — a match
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bound — certain
  15. object — an aim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. game — wild animals
  19. object — to protest
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pop — music
  22. board — to get on
  23. cell — in biology
  24. game — a kind of play

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