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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pop — music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pop — soda
  23. board — a committee
  24. bear — the animal

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