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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bass — the fish
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — to get on
  7. bass — low music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. field — farmland
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. field — a subject
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fall — the season
  19. pass — a permit
  20. field — for sport
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — a committee

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