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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rock — music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. scale — size or range
  6. staff — employees
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. board — a committee
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pit — in a race
  13. staff — employees
  14. scale — in music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rock — a stone
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pound — a weight
  21. game — a match
  22. board — to get on
  23. shower — rain
  24. game — wild animals

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