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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: pound · bound · bulb · craft · wound · squash · foot · pit

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pound — a weight
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wound — an injury
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pit — a hole
  19. squash — the sport
  20. craft — boats
  21. bound — obliged
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bound — certain
  24. craft — a skill

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