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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — a song
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pound — a weight
  6. court — of a king
  7. staff — employees
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. court — for sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. court — of law
  13. season — in sport
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. track — a path
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. season — of the year
  19. staff — a stick
  20. board — a committee
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. staff — employees

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