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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: ball · band · bound · craft · pound · tear · pass · prune

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. tear — to rip
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bound — obliged
  5. prune — to trim
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bound — certain
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bound — tied together
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. band — a ring
  17. tear — from crying
  18. craft — boats
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. ball — a dance
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. band — a music group

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