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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cell — a phone
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fine — all right
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fine — high quality
  18. sharp — exactly

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