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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cell — a phone
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. club — a group
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tube — a container
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rock — a stone
  15. shower — rain
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rock — music
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pitch — completely
  20. club — for dancing
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. club — for golf

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