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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mate — a partner
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pit — in a race
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bowl — to roll

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