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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. scale — size or range
  6. press — newspapers
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. press — to push
  10. rock — music
  11. firm — steady
  12. scale — in music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. firm — decided
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pound — a weight

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