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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. scale — in music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pound — a weight
  10. scale — size or range
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match

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