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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. snap — to click
  11. board — to get on
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. swing — music
  14. plane — a tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. board — a committee

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