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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. net — after costs
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. board — to get on
  7. club — for dancing
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. board — a committee
  12. net — in sport
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. net — for catching
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pitcher — a jug

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