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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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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 · rock · stand · roll · swing · pound · fork · cold

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. roll — a list
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bound — certain
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rock — music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cold — an illness
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rock — a stone
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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