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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. suit — clothes
  7. game — wild animals
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ball — a great time
  11. kid — child
  12. rash — hasty
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rash — a series
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pound — a weight

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