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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: net · board · track · pop · bound · pound · cap · game

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. track — to keep track
  4. net — in sport
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cap — a hat
  7. game — wild animals
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bound — obliged
  12. net — after costs
  13. pop — soda
  14. track — a song
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bound — certain
  18. pop — to visit
  19. game — a match
  20. net — for catching
  21. pop — music
  22. track — a path
  23. board — a committee
  24. game — a kind of play

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