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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. kid — to tease
  3. net — in sport
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. current — electric
  9. shower — rain
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bass — the fish
  15. current — of water
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. shower — to wash
  18. net — after costs
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. current — happening now
  21. bass — low music
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — for catching

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