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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 120 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: pop · pound · bound · board · mine · bass · ball · bore

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. board — a committee
  13. pop — music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. bound — certain
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pop — soda

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