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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. content — the amount
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. content — happy
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — a partner
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. tube — a container
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pound — a weight
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mate — a friend
  24. arm — a part of something

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