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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. foot — a measure
  5. board — to get on
  6. kid — to tease
  7. spring — of water
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spring — a coil
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. kid — child

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