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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cue — for pool
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cue — a hint
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cell — in biology

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