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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mine — for digging
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pass — a permit
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bank — of a river
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pound — a weight
  23. game — a match
  24. suit — to fit

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