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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pitch — completely
  6. object — a thing
  7. club — a group
  8. object — to protest
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. craft — a skill
  11. squash — to crush
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bore — to drill
  14. game — a match
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bore — to tire
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. craft — boats
  22. club — for golf
  23. object — an aim
  24. pound — to hit hard

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