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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: row · pitcher · pass · pop · saw · bound · date · board

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pop — music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. date — the fruit
  6. board — to get on
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. board — a committee
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — the tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. row — a line
  22. pass — a permit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — obliged

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