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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. board — to get on
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. scale — in music
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fine — all right
  10. game — a match
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. scale — size or range
  15. board — a committee
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. band — a music group
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fine — high quality
  24. band — a ring

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