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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 116 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: bound · bass · ruler · safe · clip · pit · prune · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pit — in a race
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — a hole
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bass — the fish
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bound — obliged
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — certain
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bass — low music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — a video
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bound — tied together
  24. clip — to cut

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