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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. season — of the year
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. key — for a lock
  7. board — a committee
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. key — in music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. spring — the season
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. board — to get on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. season — in sport

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