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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. club — a group
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ground — crushed
  19. club — for golf
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ground — a position
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chip — to eat

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