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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. kid — child
  11. pound — a weight
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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