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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. hand — help
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pound — a weight
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. board — to get on
  9. swing — music
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — a committee
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — a thing
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. object — an aim
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. object — to protest

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