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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mine — for digging
  3. swing — music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rock — music
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. key — in music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. swing — in golf
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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