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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mug — a face
  7. board — to get on
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. game — a match
  15. net — after costs
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. net — in sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. board — a committee
  24. ruler — for measuring

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