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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: toast · bat · net · ruler · dip · row · nail · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. row — a line
  3. pound — a weight
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bat — the animal
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. net — for catching
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. net — in sport
  16. toast — bread
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. dip — to sink
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. net — after costs
  24. pound — for dogs

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