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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. board — to get on
  9. field — for sport
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — a subject
  16. ball — a dance
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. board — a committee
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. field — farmland
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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