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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — decided
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. capital — a city
  7. pound — a weight
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. firm — steady
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fall — to drop
  14. drill — army training
  15. fall — to drop
  16. drill — a practice
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fall — the season
  21. rock — music
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. capital — money
  24. firm — a company

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