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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. can — to be able to
  6. court — of a king
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. court — of law
  10. can — a tin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. court — for sport
  18. staff — employees
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. can — a tin
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. staff — employees

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