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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mate — to breed
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. object — to protest
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. object — an aim
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mate — a friend
  14. object — a thing
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rock — a stone
  17. craft — boats
  18. mate — a partner
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pound — a weight
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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