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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. chair — a leader
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spell — magic
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bank — for money
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chair — a professorship

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