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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: pound · date · chest · current · staff · object · toast · bound

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bound — certain
  5. pound — a weight
  6. object — to protest
  7. current — happening now
  8. staff — a stick
  9. object — a thing
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. chest — of your body
  14. toast — bread
  15. current — electric
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. chest — a box
  19. date — the fruit
  20. current — of water
  21. staff — employees
  22. chest — of your body
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — an aim

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