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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. season — of the year
  2. mug — a face
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. board — to get on
  7. firm — a company
  8. mug — a cup
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mug — to rob
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. firm — steady
  17. board — a committee
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. saw — the tool
  22. firm — decided
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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