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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. board — a committee
  5. stem — to come from
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — the sport
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bound — obliged
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. snap — to click
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — to crush
  20. board — to get on
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stem — of a plant

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