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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · kick · deal · rash · face · jam · racket · mug

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rash — a series
  8. mug — a face
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mug — to rob
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mug — a cup
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rash — hasty
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. kick — in football
  24. pound — to hit hard

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