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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stock — goods
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. game — a match
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stock — shares
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — a committee
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — wild animals

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