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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: pound · rock · calf · racket · cell · swing · rule · bound

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bound — certain
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rule — a law
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. swing — music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bound — obliged
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rock — music
  23. rule — government
  24. cell — in a prison

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