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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fine — high quality
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. game — a match
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. club — for golf
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. game — wild animals
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fine — all right

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