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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. last — finally
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lean — to bend
  13. last — final
  14. mate — a partner
  15. drill — the tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lean — thin
  19. drill — army training
  20. last — to go on
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. mate — a friend

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