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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. deal — to handle
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — of the sea

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