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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: bear · bound · cue · ball · board · pound · suit · file

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cue — for pool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ball — a dance
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. board — a committee
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. file — a tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. board — to get on
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. file — a document
  24. suit — in cards

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