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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bound — certain
  3. rock — music
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rock — a stone
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. craft — boats
  14. pound — a weight
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bulb — for light
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — for catching
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bound — tied together

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