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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lean — thin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. band — a music group
  9. season — in sport
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. can — a tin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. game — a match
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pit — in a race
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. can — to be able to
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. can — a tin
  24. season — of the year

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