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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. kid — child
  5. board — a committee
  6. tube — a container
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. clip — for paper
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. sharp — clever
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. board — to get on
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. season — of the year
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. season — in sport
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. board — a flat piece

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