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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pound — a weight
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. club — for golf
  7. ground — a position
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bass — low music
  11. ground — the earth
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bass — the fish
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pitch — completely
  24. club — a group

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