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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bound — certain
  4. prune — to trim
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. march — the month
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pound — a weight
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rest — a break
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. march — the month
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bound — obliged

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