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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bass — low music
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — music
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pop — soda
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pit — a hole
  24. row — a quarrel

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