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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bound — obliged
  7. can — to be able to
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. pound — a weight
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. land — to come down
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ground — crushed
  17. can — a tin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pound — for dogs

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