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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rock — a stone
  6. kick — in football
  7. net — for catching
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ground — crushed
  12. net — after costs
  13. staff — employees
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pound — a weight
  16. staff — employees
  17. rock — music
  18. hand — help
  19. game — a match
  20. net — in sport
  21. hand — in cards
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pound — to hit hard

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