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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lean — thin
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lean — to bend
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. game — a match
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mate — a partner
  22. club — for golf
  23. hide — animal skin
  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