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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. row — to paddle
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pound — a weight
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. row — a line
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pound — for dogs

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