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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 · drill · bulb · object · mate · cell · toast · mouse

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. toast — bread
  8. cell — in biology
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. object — a thing
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bulb — for light
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cell — a phone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mate — a partner

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