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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chest — of your body
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. chest — a box
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. club — a group
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pound — a weight
  13. club — for golf
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — for tennis

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