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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. present — the time now
  4. roll — a cake
  5. row — to paddle
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. staff — employees
  10. wind — moving air
  11. present — a gift
  12. pound — a weight
  13. present — there
  14. bound — certain
  15. pitch — completely
  16. staff — employees
  17. bound — tied together
  18. roll — a list
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. row — a line
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bound — obliged
  24. roll — on a roll

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