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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 116 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: bound · prune · pop · club · pound · kid · pitch · ruler

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. club — a group
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. kid — child
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. club — for golf
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pitch — completely
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pop — soda
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pop — music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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