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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 · pitcher · bound · pass · wake · pop · date · deal

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. deal — to handle
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bound — tied together
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bound — certain
  23. pop — music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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