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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. board — a committee
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spell — magic
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. clip — a video
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rock — music
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pound — a weight
  12. spell — letters
  13. clip — for paper
  14. shower — rain
  15. rock — a stone
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. spell — a short time
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. board — to get on
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rock — to move gently

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