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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. object — a thing
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mug — to rob
  9. net — in sport
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. object — an aim
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mug — a face
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. net — for catching
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bass — the fish

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