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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 116 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pound — a weight
  3. file — a tool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pitch — completely
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. file — a document
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. snap — to click
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cap — a lid

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