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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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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: staff · pound · bore · pop · face · firm · racket · bound

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bound — certain
  4. staff — employees
  5. firm — steady
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bound — tied together
  10. face — to point toward
  11. firm — a company
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. firm — decided
  18. pop — soda
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. face — part of the head
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bore — to tire
  24. face — to confront

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