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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. board — to get on
  3. spell — a short time
  4. board — a committee
  5. band — a music group
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. spell — magic
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spell — letters
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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