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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: board · bass · pound · key · lean · bear · date · pit

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. key — for a lock
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pit — a hole
  6. board — a committee
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. board — to get on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. date — the fruit
  15. key — in music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bass — low music
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pit — in a race
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lean — to rest against

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