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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pound — a weight
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rock — a stone
  6. land — a country
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rock — music
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. land — ground
  17. board — to get on
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. land — to come down
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitch — a sports field

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