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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. staff — a stick
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mate — to breed
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mate — a partner
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. drill — a practice
  11. staff — employees
  12. drill — army training
  13. band — a ring
  14. staff — employees
  15. bound — certain
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bound — obliged
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. current — electric
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. band — a music group
  24. coach — a trainer

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