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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pop — music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. court — of a king
  6. pop — to visit
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pop — soda
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. court — for sport
  11. pass — a permit
  12. board — a committee
  13. lean — to bend
  14. board — to get on
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bound — obliged
  17. court — of law
  18. lean — thin
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chest — a box
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pass — to succeed
  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