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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rash — a series
  4. capital — a city
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rash — hasty
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. chair — a leader
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. capital — money
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pound — a weight
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. board — a flat piece

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