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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. roll — a cake
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. firm — steady
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bass — the fish
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. roll — a list
  14. bass — low music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mug — a cup
  17. firm — decided
  18. craft — boats
  19. mug — a face
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wake — a trail
  22. craft — a skill
  23. firm — a company
  24. roll — on a roll

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