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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bound — certain
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pop — to visit
  7. field — a subject
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pop — music
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pop — soda
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. field — for sport
  20. mug — a face
  21. field — farmland
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pass — to spend time

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