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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rash — a series
  7. chest — a box
  8. mark — a grade
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rash — hasty
  20. scale — in music
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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