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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. club — for dancing
  7. board — to get on
  8. club — a group
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tear — from crying
  13. swing — music
  14. club — for golf
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — a committee
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. tear — to rip

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