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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 124 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. game — wild animals
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. game — a match
  10. bank — of a river
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spell — magic
  15. bank — for money
  16. club — for golf
  17. spell — a short time
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — a group
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. spell — letters

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