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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: stick · ball · arm · pop · spell · lean · pound · hand

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. spell — letters
  8. lean — thin
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pop — to visit
  14. spell — magic
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ball — a great time
  20. spell — a short time
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. hand — part of the body

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