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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rock — a stone
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. court — of a king
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. court — for sport
  8. net — in sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — employees
  12. court — of law
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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