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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · tube · stick · bound · chest · pitcher · pound · dip

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chest — a box
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bound — certain
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tube — a container
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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