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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 120 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: kick · bound · cabinet · staff · pound · row · charge · bark

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — certain
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. charge — in control
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. staff — a stick
  17. charge — a price
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bound — obliged
  21. row — a line
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pound — for dogs

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