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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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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: stick · game · mug · pound · stem · row · bound · bowl

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. game — a match
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bound — certain
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mug — a face
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — a line
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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