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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — a committee
  6. press — to push
  7. pound — a weight
  8. track — a song
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. can — to be able to
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. kid — child
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. kid — to tease
  18. board — to get on
  19. track — to keep track
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. track — a path
  22. can — a tin
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. can — a tin

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