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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rash — hasty
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. press — to push
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rash — a series
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pound — to hit hard

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