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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · jam · stick · staff · pitcher · chest · pound · dip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. staff — employees
  4. chest — of your body
  5. staff — a stick
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chest — of your body
  9. staff — employees
  10. bound — certain
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chest — a box
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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