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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. date — the fruit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fine — high quality
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pound — a weight

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