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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 · net · bound · face · date · saw · staff · pitcher

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. net — for catching
  3. face — to confront
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. date — the fruit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bound — certain
  10. saw — the tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. net — after costs
  14. staff — a stick
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bound — obliged
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bound — tied together
  24. face — part of the head

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