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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. march — the month
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pitch — completely
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. board — to get on
  14. march — the month
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — to shout
  18. march — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — a committee
  24. pound — a weight

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