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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. charge — a price
  4. bass — low music
  5. row — a line
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. charge — electricity
  12. spell — a short time
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ball — a great time
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. squash — the sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ball — a dance
  24. spell — magic

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