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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. firm — steady
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. club — a group
  6. press — a publisher
  7. club — for dancing
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cell — a phone
  12. hand — help
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — decided
  16. press — to push
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cell — in biology
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. club — for golf
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. firm — a company

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