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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 116 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. firm — decided
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. firm — steady
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. season — of the year
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. firm — a company
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wound — an injury

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