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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · board · mine · pound · pass · lash · pitch · mouse

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mine — for digging
  4. board — a committee
  5. pitch — completely
  6. spell — letters
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. spell — a short time
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. board — to get on
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pass — to spend time

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