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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
468
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 · rash · bound · staff · game · pit · swing · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rash — a series
  10. staff — a stick
  11. swing — music
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. game — a match
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bound — obliged
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rash — hasty
  18. staff — employees
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bound — tied together
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — certain

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