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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pound — a weight
  4. present — there
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bound — tied together
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. present — the time now
  12. press — to push
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cue — a signal
  17. present — a gift
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bound — certain
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pound — to hit hard

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