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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bass — low music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lean — thin
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pass — a permit
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wind — moving air

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