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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bear — the animal
  3. march — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. season — in sport
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. game — a match
  13. season — of the year
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fall — the season
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fall — to drop

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