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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · capital · stand · pound · kick · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kick — in football
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pound — to hit hard

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