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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pop — soda
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. game — wild animals
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. game — a match
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pop — music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pop — to visit
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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