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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. staff — a stick
  3. object — a thing
  4. bound — obliged
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — certain
  7. board — a committee
  8. object — to protest
  9. current — of water
  10. clip — for paper
  11. current — happening now
  12. clip — to cut
  13. tube — the underground
  14. staff — employees
  15. tube — a container
  16. object — an aim
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. board — to get on
  19. clip — a video
  20. bound — tied together
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. current — electric
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pound — to hit hard

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