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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: pound · bear · board · pop · roll · cell · pit · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bear — the animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bound — certain
  8. board — to get on
  9. bear — the animal
  10. roll — a cake
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pit — a hole
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pop — soda
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cell — a phone
  19. roll — a list
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pop — music
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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