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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mug — a face
  4. swing — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mug — a cup
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pound — a weight
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — a committee
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. board — to get on
  24. prune — to trim

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