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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. craft — boats
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. land — a country
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. land — to come down
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ball — a great time
  20. land — ground
  21. bound — obliged
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rock — music
  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