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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bat — the animal
  4. object — to protest
  5. board — to get on
  6. capital — money
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. board — a committee
  17. wake — a trail
  18. object — a thing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. capital — a city
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. object — an aim

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