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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pound — a weight
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. clip — to cut
  8. swing — in golf
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. key — in music
  12. clip — a video
  13. pitch — completely
  14. ground — crushed
  15. swing — to play on
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ground — a position
  24. swing — music

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