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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. club — a group
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mug — a cup
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mug — to rob
  7. clip — for paper
  8. club — for golf
  9. ball — a great time
  10. clip — a video
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ball — a dance
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mug — a face
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. season — of the year

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