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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 124 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. toast — bread
  6. track — a song
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. track — a path
  11. pound — a weight
  12. date — the fruit
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pop — music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bound — tied together
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pop — soda
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. date — on the calendar

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