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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: bound · game · key · pound · nail · mug · date · present

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. game — a match
  3. present — there
  4. bound — certain
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. present — a gift
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — to rob
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pound — a weight
  14. game — wild animals
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mug — a face
  17. present — the time now
  18. key — in music
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bound — obliged
  22. date — the fruit
  23. key — the most important part
  24. nail — for a hammer

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