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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. can — a tin
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. game — a match
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bass — low music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bass — the fish
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. can — a tin
  24. 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