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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. current — of water
  9. net — in sport
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. net — after costs
  12. current — happening now
  13. cue — a hint
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. current — electric
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. net — for catching
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. row — a line

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