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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rash — a series
  8. spell — letters
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pit — in a race
  19. land — to come down
  20. spell — magic
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rash — hasty

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