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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rash — a series
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pound — a weight
  11. date — the fruit
  12. ground — a position
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. toast — bread
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. nail — for a hammer

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