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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. firm — steady
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. firm — decided
  10. season — of the year
  11. firm — a company
  12. season — in sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. board — a committee
  17. saw — the tool
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pit — in a race
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bowl — a dish
  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