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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. object — to protest
  4. club — for dancing
  5. board — to get on
  6. pass — a permit
  7. object — a thing
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. club — a group
  10. board — a committee
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fall — the season
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. object — an aim
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. club — for golf
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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