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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. key — the most important part
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. row — a line
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stand — to bear
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rash — hasty
  18. face — to point toward
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. row — to paddle
  21. key — in music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rash — a series
  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