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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. firm — steady
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. firm — a company
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. bat — the animal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. can — a tin
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bear — the animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. can — a tin
  24. bound — certain

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