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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. date — the fruit
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. suit — to fit
  10. row — a line
  11. suit — in cards
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pitch — completely
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. suit — clothes
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. kick — in football

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