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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. season — in sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rule — a law
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. key — in music
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rule — government
  16. squash — the sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. season — of the year
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rule — to rule out

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