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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. face — to confront
  6. cold — an illness
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. swing — in golf
  10. suit — to fit
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. face — to point toward
  13. swing — to play on
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cold — not warm
  16. suit — clothes
  17. board — a committee
  18. mine — for digging
  19. board — to get on
  20. suit — in cards
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. swing — music

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