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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — a contest
  14. bass — low music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. race — humankind
  21. board — a committee
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. club — for golf
  24. race — the arms race

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