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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. swing — to play on
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. object — an aim
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. object — a thing
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rush — hurry
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. object — to protest
  23. swing — music
  24. rush — a thrill

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