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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. shower — rain
  3. pound — a weight
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. shower — to wash
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. drill — army training
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. press — to push
  13. board — to get on
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. drill — a practice
  17. board — a committee
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. drill — the tool
  20. track — a song
  21. toast — bread
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. track — a path

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