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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lean — thin
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mouse — for a computer

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