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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. ground — the earth
  4. field — for sport
  5. mug — to rob
  6. staff — employees
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — music
  12. ground — a position
  13. field — farmland
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. staff — a stick
  16. field — a subject
  17. ball — a great time
  18. staff — employees
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cabinet — ministers

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