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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. row — a line
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bank — for money
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bass — low music
  18. sharp — clever
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bank — for money

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