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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ball — a great time
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rash — a series
  7. land — ground
  8. pound — a weight
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spring — of water
  11. rash — hasty
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. land — to come down
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kick — in football
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — a country
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pound — for dogs

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