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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pop — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. scale — size or range
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pound — a weight
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. scale — in music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bound — certain

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