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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. court — for sport
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. court — of law
  9. season — in sport
  10. mark — a grade
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. court — of a king
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. season — of the year
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. roll — a list
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. snap — to click
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. roll — a cake

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