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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. present — the time now
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. present — there
  6. pound — a weight
  7. board — to get on
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pop — soda
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. object — an aim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pop — music
  14. object — to protest
  15. board — a committee
  16. pop — to visit
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. object — a thing
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. present — a gift

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