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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mark — a trace
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. land — ground
  10. content — the amount
  11. board — a committee
  12. land — to come down
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. content — happy
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. land — a country
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. spell — a short time
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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