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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pound — a weight
  4. game — a match
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hand — help
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mug — a face
  21. rock — music
  22. bass — low music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — to rob

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