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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lean — thin
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bound — certain
  14. pit — in a race
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bound — obliged
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — for paper

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