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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pound — a weight
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. capital — money
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. ball — a dance
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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