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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 124 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. staff — a stick
  5. present — a gift
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pound — a weight
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. present — the time now
  17. staff — employees
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. present — there
  24. racket — for tennis

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