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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bound — tied together
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fine — all right
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bound — obliged
  16. scale — size or range
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fine — high quality
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. scale — in music
  21. bound — certain
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pound — to hit hard

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