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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: tube · bound · date · mark · pound · board · calf · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. date — the fruit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. tube — a container
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. net — in sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pound — a weight
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. net — for catching
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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