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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bound — obliged
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bound — tied together
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bound — certain
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. press — a publisher
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. press — to push
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ball — a great time
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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