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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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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: safe · tear · row · club · pound · bound · game · bulb

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. row — a line
  4. bound — obliged
  5. row — to paddle
  6. tear — from crying
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — for light
  10. club — for golf
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pound — a weight
  13. game — a match
  14. bound — certain
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — a group
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. tear — to rip
  24. game — wild animals

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