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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. club — for golf
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pop — music
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mug — a face
  9. kid — child
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — to paddle
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pop — to visit
  19. row — a line
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pop — soda
  24. pound — a weight

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