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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — a tin
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. can — a tin
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fall — the season
  21. ball — a dance
  22. kid — child
  23. can — to be able to
  24. dip — to sink

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