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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mug — a face
  3. board — to get on
  4. degree — from a university
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pop — soda
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. degree — temperature
  12. swing — in golf
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. swing — music
  20. mug — a cup
  21. swing — to play on
  22. board — a committee
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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