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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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 — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fork — in a road
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitch — completely
  10. last — finally
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. last — final
  19. bound — tied together
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  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