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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. ground — a position
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — crushed
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bat — the animal
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard

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