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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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Word bank
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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: foot · drill · arm · board · pass · game · date · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. game — a match
  4. board — a committee
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. drill — a practice
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. drill — army training
  14. foot — a measure
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pass — a permit
  17. board — to get on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. game — wild animals
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. date — the fruit

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