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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. court — for sport
  3. board — to get on
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. board — a committee
  17. kick — in football
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. rest — a break
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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