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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: wake · pound · chair · temple · pitcher · mouse · bound · dip

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bound — obliged
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wake — a trail
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chair — a leader

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