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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 124 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bound — certain
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fan — to cool the air

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