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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. game — a match
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. game — wild animals
  8. board — a committee
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pound — a weight
  12. scale — in music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kick — in football
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — to wash
  24. board — to get on

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