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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. capital — money
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. board — a committee
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — to get on
  16. cell — in biology
  17. capital — a city
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cell — a phone
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. foot — a measure
  24. shower — rain

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