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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — magic
  6. band — a music group
  7. wake — a trail
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — a price
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — electricity
  13. band — a ring
  14. net — for catching
  15. charge — in control
  16. spell — letters
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. net — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. net — after costs
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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