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

Word bank: bound · net · cue · fall · straw · pop · season · pound

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. 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. pop — music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fall — the season
  4. pound — a weight
  5. net — for catching
  6. fall — to drop
  7. season — in sport
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. net — after costs
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. net — in sport
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cue — a hint
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pop — soda
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fall — to drop
  20. season — of the year
  21. bound — certain
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. 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