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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: club · ground · bound · mouse · cabinet · craft · bore · pound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ground — a position
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bore — to tire
  13. club — for golf
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. club — a group
  20. craft — boats
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pound — a weight

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