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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. pound — a weight
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pitcher — a jug

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