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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bass — low music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. board — a committee
  7. key — for a lock
  8. spell — magic
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. spell — letters
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. key — in music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. board — to get on
  24. key — the most important part

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