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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: pound · staff · fine · tube · mate · bound · craft · spring

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mate — to breed
  3. spring — the season
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. spring — a coil
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mate — a partner
  18. staff — a stick
  19. craft — boats
  20. spring — of water
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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