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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rest — a break
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. object — to protest
  5. bound — certain
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bank — for money
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rest — what's left
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. bank — for money
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mouse — the animal

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